Department for Transport

Alternative Fuels

Dehenna Davison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made in introducing E10 fuel to UK forecourts as part of the Government’s Build Back Better  and green recovery plans.

Rachel Maclean: We plan to publish the Government response to our consultation on the introduction of E10 as soon as possible.

Electric Scooters: Sales

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) scooters and (b) e-scooters sold in each month of 2020.

Rachel Maclean: The Department does not hold information on the sale of scooters and e-scooters.

Union Connectivity Review

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the Union Connectivity Review.

Rachel Maclean: The Transport Secretary has had discussions with Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Transport Michael Matheson about the Union Connectivity Review ahead of its launch in October 2020.

Driving Instruction: Coronavirus

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to extend (a) provisional licences and (b) theory test certificates in response to the discontinuation of driving lessons during the covid-19 outbreak.

Rachel Maclean: The quickest and easiest way to renew a driving a licence is using the online service, which is available as normal. There are no plans to extend provisional driving licences. The law requires drivers who hold a provisional photocard licence to renew it every ten years. A maximum duration of two years is permitted between passing a theory test and a subsequent practical test. This is provided for in law and is in place for road safety reasons.

Motorcycles: Training

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2021 to Question 140769,  how critical workers who cannot work from home can (a) take their full motorcylce test and (b) renew their Compulsory Basic Training while test centres are closed during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Rachel Maclean: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is making available a practical testing service in England for mobile emergency workers who need to ride a motorcycle as part of their job. The DVSA is not accepting requests for mobile emergency worker tests direct from individuals. Those employing mobile emergency workers need to apply to the DVSA for their existing test to be conducted earlier as a mobile emergency worker test; the DVSA has contacted organisations eligible to tell them how to do this. Learner motorcyclists meeting the mobile emergency worker criteria and who have a valid compulsory basic training (CBT) certificate and wish to apply for a motorcycle licence are eligible for the mobile emergency worker service. Learner motorcyclists whose CBT certificate has expired are unable to renew it during the current restrictions. They will not be able take a practical motorcycle test until conditions allow CBT to re-start and they have acquired a fresh CBT certificate.

Delivery Services: Standards

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with (a) Uber Eats and (b) other mobile delivery companies on ensuring that their delivery drivers and vehicles (i) are roadworthy, (ii) hold comprehensive and public liability insurance, (iii) have undertaken driver standards training, (iv) do not undertake deliveries using pavements or other pedestrian only areas and (v) are equipped with adequate lights for night time deliveries.

Rachel Maclean: The safety of anyone driving on our roads is a priority, and that includes those who drive for work. Employers have a duty to manage the risks of their work activities, and employees have a responsibility to drive safely; both are expected to take these responsibilities seriously. Anyone using a bicycle or moped on the highway has a responsibility to ensure that their driving and vehicle meets specific standards that comply with the law in the interests of their own safety and that of other road users and risk prosecution if they do not.

Electric Scooters: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the cost of hire charges for e-scooters on the level of take-up during the e-scooter pilot in York.

Rachel Maclean: An assessment of the impact that e-scooter hire charges have on the level and nature of take-up in the trials will be made as part of our comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of national trials. Initial findings are due in the Autumn.

Electric Scooters

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he Department is taking to prohibit adults from using e-scooters on the public highway while carrying (a) infants and (b) other passengers.

Rachel Maclean: It is illegal for e-scooters to be used on public roads other than as part of government approved e-scooter trials, which were launched last summer and will run in a number of areas across most of 2021. Only rental e-scooters can be used in trial areas, and they can only be ridden by a single person. The police in local areas across the country have a range of sanctions at their disposal to enforce illegal e-scooter use, including on the spot fines and placing points on any licence held by the user.

Air Routes: Volcanoes

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contingency planning his Department has undertaken to avoid future disruption to air routes from volcanic activity.

Robert Courts: The UK is prepared to deal with a significant Icelandic volcanic eruption. Since 2010, the Department for Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), NATS and industry have developed a bespoke response guidance, which is regularly exercised and updated. We are confident that contingency plans developed by the government and the aviation industry, alongside actions taken by the Icelandic authorities, will reduce significantly the level of disruption arising from a similar eruption to that in 2010. Volcanic activity across Iceland is kept under constant scrutiny and the contingency plans can be deployed quickly if required.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Coronavirus

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 28 January 2021 to Question 142892, if he will publish the correspondence from the First Minister of Wales.

Rachel Maclean: The Department has received correspondence from the First Minister of Wales but does not intend to publish this correspondence.

Railway Stations: Billingham

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received on the delay to planned accessibility works at Billingham Station under the Access for All scheme; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such a delay on local residents who have disabilities.

Chris Heaton-Harris: We have received no representations about Billingham since it was included in the Access for All programme. Although the deadline for completing Access for All projects is 2024, Billingham is due to finish in 2022. Development and design work are well advanced and construction is due to start early next year.

High Speed Two: Staff

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people working on the Crossrail project have left that project to take up positions with HS2 Ltd.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Crossrail Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London. Crossrail Ltd are responsible for holding the data on how many people working on the Crossrail project have left to take up positions with HS2 Ltd.

Department for Transport: Apprentices

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department for Transport (DfT) remains fully committed to the Government’s apprenticeship agenda. Due to the diverse nature of our work, the central department (DfTc) and our executive agencies (DfT Group) have developed localised strategies to allow us to work towards the Government target.As of 3rd February 2021, there were 302 staff across the Department who are apprentices. This figure includes apprentices across the central department (DfTc) and our four Executive Agencies (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Vehicle Certification Agency). This is 1.92% of the total staff employed across the DfT Group (headcount data taken as of 31 December 2020).This figure is made up of apprentices who have been externally recruited as well as existing employees currently undertaking an apprenticeship. This figure does not include apprentices recently recruited by the Department who are waiting to start their apprenticeship programme.

Driving Tests: Coronavirus

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the DVLA on planning for (a) the restarting of driving theory testing and (b) ensuring the maximum number of driving theory tests are available once covid-19 lockdown restrictions have ended.

Rachel Maclean: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is responsible for the conduct of theory driving tests. The DVSA has been working closely with Pearson VUE, its theory test provider, to explore ways in which it can expand theory testing capacity and reduce waiting times for theory tests once testing can resume. Since theory tests re-started in August 2020 after the first lockdown, the DVSA has implemented various solutions which provided more testing capacity. This included extending opening and closing times where possible and extending the booking window from three months to four months to give candidates more choice of available dates. The DVSA also moved to one metre plus social distancing at test centres in England, which increased the number of candidates able to take their test at any one time.Theory tests have again had to cease in all home nations. The DVSA will build on the experience it acquired from restarting and increasing test capacity after the first and second lockdowns to ensure it can offer maximum testing capacity as soon as it is safe to restart tests.

Motorcycles: Driving Tests

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason solo motorcycle driving tests have been suspended during covid-19 lockdown; whether learner-riders of motorcycles who have already passed their theory tests are liable to financial loss caused by having to re-sit them in future, as a result of the suspension of the practical test modules; and what his policy is on people who have lost their employment because of the covid-19 outbreak being facilitated to retrain as motorcycle dispatch riders.

Rachel Maclean: While social distancing can be achieved during motorcycle training and testing to an extent, there is still an element of exchanging equipment, such as radio microphones. This cannot be avoided and increases the risk of virus transmission. In addition, attending motorcycle training and tests is not in line with the current Government’s guidance and would be considered non-essential travel. It is also contrary to the ‘stay at home’ message and would increase movement of both people and vehicles.The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) pays its contractor, Pearson, per theory test delivered. If candidates were exempted from having to pay for a re-take, then the DVSA, and in turn other fee payers, would incur the costs. This would be unfair to the other fee payers who would not benefit from the arrangement.   When it is safe to resume testing, the DVSA will put measures in place to increase testing availability wherever possible; this will include offering overtime to examiners and buying back annual leave, asking all those qualified but who do not normally do so to carry out tests, and conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays). These measures will also enable those wishing to retrain as motorcycle dispatch riders to take a practical test. The DVSA will continue to assess further options for increasing testing capacity and reducing the backlog as quickly as possible.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Companies: Meetings

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with (a) representatives of business and (b) other stakeholders on the expiry of provisions for virtual AGMs under the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020.

Paul Scully: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Dr Kieran Mullan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to replace the non-domestic renewal heat incentive scheme; and when he will publish those plans.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Fossil Fuels: Export Credit Guarantees

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Prime Minister’s announcement of 12 December 2020 that the Government was ending all UKEF support for fossil fuel projects overseas and the fact that UKEF continues to consider applications for support in the oil and gas sector, whether he has made an assessment of applying the ban retrospectively from 12 December 2020.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Companies: Meetings

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to review the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 with reference to provisions for virtual company AGMs in light of the third covid-19 lockdown.

Paul Scully: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much revenue the Insolvency Service has collected in bankruptcy fees from leaseholders in high-rise private residential properties with defective cladding in each financial year since 2017-18.

Paul Scully: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Geothermal Power

Dr Kieran Mullan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential of geothermal energy to contribute to the UK's net zero target.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mr Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will proactively plan for and stock the Novavax and Johnson and Johnson vaccines, pending the completion of their clinical trials and UK approval process.

Nadhim Zahawi: The UK Government has secured early access to 407 million vaccines doses through agreements with seven separate vaccine developers. This includes agreements with Novavax for 60 million doses and Janssen for 30 million doses. Subject to regulatory approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which will review and analyse the relevant data to see if the vaccines meet their strict standards of safety and effectiveness, these vaccines are expected to be delivered in the second half of this year. The Government is committed to ensuring access to vaccines as soon as is safely possible, which is why it is considering all options to help achieve this objective.

Additional Restrictions Grant

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with local authority representatives on the effectiveness of criteria for the disbursement of the Additional Restrictions Grant.

Paul Scully: The Additional Restrictions Grant is a discretionary scheme for which Local Authorities set eligibility criteria in the way that best fits their local area. Guidance makes clear that Local authorities may use this funding for grants or for other related business support. The Government is working closely with local authorities in England to support the implementation of business grants during the Covid-19 pandemic and monitor the distribution of grant funds. Officials have engaged with the local government sector, including the Local Government Association, throughout the pandemic. This engagement has been through local government working groups and live-streams with all 314 local authorities managing grant schemes. In addition to the scheme guidance, we publish Frequently Asked Questions documents to help local authorities with their administration of grant schemes.

Business Improvement Districts: Operating Costs

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support Business Improvement Districts with their operational costs.

Paul Scully: BIDs are a proven and effective vehicle for leveraging private investment and have a significant role to play in high street regeneration: in 2019, 259 BIDs across England raised over £106.7 million through levy payments to invest back into their respective towns and cities. Their role will be even more important in the recovery phase from the current crisis.During 2020, the Government paid £5.8m of support funding to 260 BIDs in England to assist with their core running costs. The funding was delivered through non-ringfenced section 31 grants to Local Authorities, who distributed this to the BID bodies in their area.The Government included provisions within the Coronavirus Act 2020 that enables BIDs to delay any renewal ballots due to take place before 31 December 2020, until 31 March 2021. This is to allow businesses to focus on recovery from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic before deciding whether to participate in future BID arrangements. While this extension will come to an end on 31 March 2021, we have heard many positive examples of BIDs who have undertaken successful renewal ballots. We also know that many are also seeing the BID levy continuing to be paid by members.

Disability

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2021 to Question 133029 on Disability: EU Law, what steps the Government is taking to improve and enhance accessibility through domestic legislation.

Paul Scully: The UK has robust legislation on accessibility through the protections covered by the Equality Act 2006, Equality Act 2010, and equivalent legislation in Northern Ireland. The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination on grounds of disability and imposes a duty on providers of goods and services to make reasonable adjustments to prevent this.

Climate Change and Research: Finance

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what effect the 30 per cent reduction in his Department’s Official Development Assistance allocation will have on the Government’s ringfenced climate change and R&D funding commitments.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The difficult finance situation we face due to the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a temporary reduction in the UK’s aid spending target from 0.7% of GNI to 0.5%. ODA allocations for all departments were determined in light of this by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in consultation with HM Treasury, and with regard to wider commitments including the R&D ringfence. The Government’s commitment to research and innovation is clearly demonstrated through the recently published R&D Roadmap, and the £400m uplift in R&D spending announced in the Spending Review. The Department remains committed to supporting my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s pledge to double the UK’s International Climate Finance to £11.6bn between 2021/22 and 2025/26, and we will deliver ambitious programmes to support both this commitment and the Prime Minister’s recent pledge to spend £3bn of our climate finance on nature. This significant uplift of our climate finance sets a clear benchmark for the international community towards COP26 and beyond.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with key stakeholders in the automotive industry on the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on that sector.

Nadhim Zahawi: Throughout the pandemic, the Government has regularly engaged with manufacturers and automotive trade associations on opportunities to support the growth and competitiveness of the sector in the UK. All Ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are published in Quarterly Transparency returns published by relevant Departments.

Small Businesses: Coronavirus

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to protect small and micro businesses from closure as a result of the covid-19 outbreak in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

Paul Scully: The Government introduced an unprecedented and comprehensive package of business support measures to help as many individuals and businesses as possible during this difficult period. This support package included measures such as the small business grants, the coronavirus loan guarantee schemes, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), the deferral of VAT and income tax payments, and more. These measures were designed to be accessible to businesses in most sectors and across the UK. Further measures were also announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer that build on the significant support already available, as well as set out how current support will evolve and adapt. This includes the extension of the CJRS until the end of April 2021, the extension of the coronavirus loan guarantee schemes until 31 March 2021, and the introduction of Pay As You Grow measures, meaning businesses now have the option to repay their Bounce Back Loans over a period of up to ten years. Businesses who also deferred VAT due from 20 March to 30 June 2020 will now have the option to opt-in to a scheme to allow them to pay in smaller instalments up to the end of March 2022, interest free. Businesses and individuals can use our checker tool on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support to quickly and easily determine whether they are eligible for any further financial support at this time. Additionally, businesses and individuals are able to access tailored advice through our Freephone Business Support Helpline, online via the Business Support website, or through their local Growth Hubs in England. The Government will also continue to work closely with Local Authorities, businesses, Business Representative Organisations, and the financial services sector to monitor the implementation of current support. During this period of national restrictions business mandated to close have been able to access grants of up to £4,500 per six-week closure period. The Government has also announced an additional payment for closed businesses of £9,000 to help businesses through to the Spring. For those businesses not mandated to close but who have had their trade adversely affected by restrictions local authorities have been allocated a further £500m in discretionary funding via the Additional Restrictions Grant, in addition to £1.1bn already allocated in November 2020.

Business: Coronavirus

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the (a) economic and (b) other effects of the covid-19 outbreak on businesses in (i) Coventry North East constituency, (ii) Coventry and (iii) the West Midlands, by sector.

Paul Scully: The Government continues to engage closely with partners on the ground across the country to understand the economic impact of Covid-19 and to support businesses. Through the Growth Hubs programme, we are reaching thousands of businesses to provide free and impartial advice and support regardless of size and sector. The Coventry and Warwickshire LEP self-reported that between 1st April and 31st October 2020 their Growth Hub engaged with more than 50,000 businesses with advice and support. Where businesses are required to close due to Covid-19 restrictions they can receive grants of up to £4,500 per 6 week period of closure as well as a one off payment of up to £9,000. Local Authorities have been allocated an additional £1.6bn in Additional Restrictions Grant to provide other businesses with support in their area.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Apprentices

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.

Mr Robin Walker: The Northern Ireland Office, despite our relatively small size, has had 3 members of staff successfully complete apprenticeship qualifications in recent months. These 3 staff equated to 3% of our London staff, exceeding the public sector target of 2.3%. These staff members completed their apprenticeships at the end of 2020. As a result, we currently have no apprentices; however, we have started recruiting to ensure we can continue to meet this target.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total value of service credits applied to personal protective equipment procurement contracts was since 1 March 2020.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that private nurseries and early year providers have access to covid-19 testing kits and lateral flow testing kits.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Schools: Coronavirus

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of lateral flow testing in schools in (a) 2020 and (b) 2021 to date.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Professions: Termination of Employment

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland’s survey finding that more than half of healthcare professionals are contemplating leaving the NHS or retiring early due to pressures faced during the covid-19 pandemic; and what steps he is taking to ensure the adequate provision of expertise in the NHS.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what safeguards he has put in place to ensure that people do not receive doses of the covid-19 vaccine from different manufacturers.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence his Department has on the closure of schools reducing the transmission of covid-19.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence there is that lockdowns reduce the transmission of covid-19.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Ilford North and Redbridge

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many care homes have been (a) offered and (b) received the covid-19 vaccine in (i) Ilford North constituency and (ii) the London Borough of Redbridge.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS Test and Trace

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) external consultants and (b) arms-length bodies his Department has employed to work on the NHS Test and Trace programme in each month since the inception of that programme; and what the cost of their employment is each month.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of prioritising children under 16 with Down’s Syndrome for covid-19 vaccination.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish statistics on the uptake of the covid-19 vaccine by care home staff.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data is being collected and held on the number of people testing positive for covid-19 after receiving a vaccination dose.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's (JCVI) advice on priority groups for covid-19 vaccination and the UK covid-19 vaccines delivery plan, what estimate he has made of the number of unpaid carers who may be eligible for a vaccine in priority group six.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's advice on priority groups for covid-19 vaccination and the UK covid-19 vaccines delivery plan, what steps he is taking to identify unpaid carers in order to ensure they are offered the covid-19 vaccine at the appropriate point.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's advice on priority groups for covid-19 vaccination, whether the UK covid-19 vaccines delivery plan will be updated to confirm that unpaid carers will be offered a vaccine in priority group six.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the vaccination of maritime workers by Singapore, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on prioritising maritime workers for covid-19 vaccination.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mr Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using mobile vaccination centres to reach remote communities.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mr Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using closed hospitality venues that are equipped with commercial grade refrigeration for the storing and distributing of vaccines.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mr Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will launch a national campaign to educate the public on the safety and benefits of the covid-19 vaccines.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Children

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children's medical procedures in England have been cancelled in each month since March 2019 by (a) NHS Trust and (b) Clinical Commissioning Group area.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ambulance Services: Yorkshire and the Humber

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many ambulances there were in Yorkshire and the Humber region in (a) 2010 and (b) 2020.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Yorkshire and the Humber

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many A&E (a) type one, (b) type two and (c) type three units there were in Yorkshire and the Humber region in (a) 2010 and (b) 2020.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS Walk-in Centres: Yorkshire and the Humber

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS walk-in centres there were in Yorkshire and the Humber region in (a) 2010 and (b) 2020.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by what date he is planning for all domiciliary care staff in England to have been vaccinated; and how many of those staff have been vaccinated to date.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by what date he is planning for all care home staff in England to have been vaccinated; and how many of those staff have been vaccinated to date.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgical Mesh Implants

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2020 to Question 73681 on specialist treatment centres for victims of the vaginal mesh scandal, if he will make it his policy to (a) reimburse and (b) otherwise defray the reasonable relevant (i) travel, (ii) accommodation, (iii) prescription and (iv) medical appliance costs incurred by NHS patients having to travel substantially out of area to obtain specialist treatment; and if he will list those treatment centres (A) already and (B) scheduled to be established, together with the operational dates in each case.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Services: Protective Clothing

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Answer of 27 January 2021 to Question 106435 on Social Services: Protective Clothing, what plans his Department has to review the order limits on the Personal Protective Equipment portal; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the order limit on social care providers' ability to meet their PPE needs.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure access to medical-grade FFP3 facemasks in all occupational settings for frontline health and social care workers.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Midwives: Yorkshire and the Humber

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many midwifery-led units there were in Yorkshire and the Humber region in (a) 2010 and (b) 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Healthy Start Scheme

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether uptake targets for Healthy Start scheme vouchers have been met over the last 12 months.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 vaccination programme on covid-19 infection rates for NHS staff.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many care homes have experienced outbreaks of covid-19 in each week since the start of the outbreak.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Influenza

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many weekly confirmed hospital admissions to hospital for influenza were recorded through the UK Severe Influenza Surveillance Systems sentinel scheme since January 2019.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Quarantine

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the value is of service credits applied to SITEL’s contract to run the Isolation Assurance Service.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care: Apprentices

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to bring forward proposals on the social care plan announced by the Prime Minister in July 2019; and whether he plans to bring forward a (a) White Paper or (b) Bill.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on supplying high risk supported living care settings with rapid tests as proposed in the November Covid-19 Winter Plan presented by the Prime Minister.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2021 to Question 140829 on NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020, how many of the 261 accepted claims have been paid.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Healthy Start Scheme

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the promotion to parents of Healthy Start scheme vouchers.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Carers: Coronavirus

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing covid-19 testing and personal protective equipment to family carers on a similar basis to the provision of that equipment to care home staff.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Health Professions

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his provision of mental health support for frontline healthcare workers of findings of the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland that more than four in 10 people working in all health professions are more stressed and anxious in the second wave of covid-19 wave compared with the first.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dentistry and Doctors

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland’s recent survey of its doctor and dentist members.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Jane Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to roll out covid-19 vaccines to people who are not registered with a GP.

Nadhim Zahawi: NHS England and NHS Improvement have sought to ensure that vaccinations are accessible to those who are not registered with a general practitioner (GP). NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned the general practice COVID-19 vaccination service as an enhanced service (ES). The ES enables practices to vaccinate unregistered patients provided they are eligible for a vaccination. Individuals who are not registered with a GP practice will therefore be able to access the vaccine in line with the priority groups outlined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisations.National Health Service regional teams working with appropriate local systems will reach out to unregistered people to ensure they are offered the vaccine. In the immediate period we are asking partners including voluntary community, social enterprise, and inclusion health provider partners to support their clients and service users to register with a GP.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether health and care professions that can currently administer medicines, through Patient Group Directions and Independent Prescribing Rights, will be granted rights to assist with the roll out of any covid-19 vaccination programme.

Jo Churchill: Secondary legislation enabling more healthcare workers to administer flu and potential COVID-19 vaccines has been introduced. This means that the National Health Service can expand the vaccination workforce by recruiting to clinical roles needed to support mass vaccinations in a safe way. This includes drawing on the skills of those who have volunteered through the NHS Bring Back Scheme, considering the use of a wider range of professionals such as registered dentists, midwives, occupational therapists, paramedics, physiotherapists and radiographers, trainee doctors and nurses, as well as those currently working outside of the NHS such as St John’s Ambulance and independent nurses and occupational health service providers. This expanded workforce will work alongside GPs, nurses, pharmacists and other professionals in primary, community and acute care experienced in delivering vaccination programmes. There are many other people in the UK who have experience and vital skills that can be adapted to support vaccination services. For example, cabin crew are being recruited and trained to work alongside NHS colleagues at vaccination sites.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to issue certification to vaccinated individuals after a covid-19 vaccine becomes available.

Nadhim Zahawi: There are no plans to introduce vaccine certification following this vaccination programme. As with other vaccination programmes, when patients are vaccinated, they are likely to receive a vaccine record card that notes the date of their vaccination, the suggested date for their second dose and details of the vaccine type and batch. This is a vaccine record card, similar to those given to patients for other NHS vaccinations as a note of when they received their vaccine. It is not intended to be used for any other purpose, or as an immunity certificate. All vaccinations are recorded on the patient’s record with their GP.

Rare Diseases: Finance

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding he plans to allocate to support the Rare Disease Framework.

Jo Churchill: The Government published a new United Kingdom Rare Diseases Framework in January 2021, which replaces the UK Rare Diseases Strategy. There is no new funding allocated in new Framework. However, the Government is committed to ensuring that the Framework is a success and will publish subsequent action plans that outline how the priorities and underlying themes in the Framework will be addressed. The details of the action plans will be released in due course.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been allocated to research on the effectiveness of the (a) Pfizer/Biontech vaccine and (b) AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine for immuno-suppressed people; and which organisations have received funding to conduct that research.

Edward Argar: UK Research and Innovation is providing around £2 million towards the Immunity programme, as part of the National Core Studies, to support research on vaccine responses in groups of immune-supressed individuals, including those with inflammatory disorders, high risk cancer patient groups, and patients with severe kidney and liver disease.Public Health England will be monitoring vaccine effectiveness to examine how it varies by subgroup such as by age or clinical risk groups including immunosuppression. Evidence will be generated through routine data sources, including routine testing data and GP electronic health records, as well as through enhanced surveillance.

Hospital Beds: Yorkshire and the Humber

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS overnight beds there were in Yorkshire and the Humber region in (a) 2010 and (b) 2020.

Edward Argar: This information is not available in the format requested. Since 2010/11 data on overnight bed availability is published on a quarterly rather than annual basis. Data is available at trust level, for the seven regions and nationally.

Cancer: Screening

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS cancer patients in England received a fusion gene mutation test for (a) ALK, (b) NTRK, (c) RET, and (d) ROS1 in 2020.

Edward Argar: NHS England and NHS Improvement currently do not hold this data.

Cancer: Screening

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timescale is for NHS England to expand access to routine genomic profiling for eligible cancer patients with metastatic/locally-advanced disease.

Edward Argar: In the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement outlined the commitment to offer more extensive genomic testing to patients who are newly diagnosed with cancers so that by 2023 over 100,000 people a year can access these tests.A range of genomic testing for patients with cancer covering both adult and paediatric solid and haematological cancers is already available through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service as outlined in the National Genomic Test Directory.

Genetics: Screening

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timescale is for NHS England to consult on the national service specification for clinical genomics.

Edward Argar: NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently progressing the updating of the Clinical Genomics Service Specification.Stakeholder testing on the Clinical Genomics Service Specification will be undertaken in line with the NHS England and NHS Improvement policy and is expected to take place in early 2021.

Care Homes: Visits

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, after residents of care homes have received their second covid-19 vaccine, when visiting restrictions are planned to be lifted, what steps he plans to take to ensure that those visits are safe; and when the Government plans to publish guidance on that matter.

Helen Whately: Care home visits can continue to take place with arrangements such as outdoor visiting, substantial screens, or visiting pods. Close-contact indoor visits should not be taking place, other than in exceptional circumstances such as end of life.We will be looking to ensure that a wider range of visiting arrangements are made available when it is safe to do so. We will publish updated guidance as this period of national lockdown ends.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Apprentices

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales,  how many and what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.

David T C Davies: As at 1 February, the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales employed one apprentice. This is 2.04% of the total staff employed within the Department. Three current members of staff have completed their apprenticeships at the Wales Office.

Department for Education

Secondary Education: Mental Health Services

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to ensure mental health support is available for secondary schools pupils in (a) Slough and (b) England.

Vicky Ford: We know that the COVID-19 outbreak and the associated measures and restrictions, such as social distancing and school closures, will be impacting on the mental wellbeing of many people, including children and young people. The government has made pupil wellbeing and mental health a central part of our response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the support we have already put in place for schools will be critical during this time.We have ensured that schools have the flexibility to offer a place in school as a vulnerable child to any pupils for whom being in school will help them to manage their mental health or to access support more easily. Decisions will be informed by the school’s experience of how pupils have been affected so far.Schools will also continue to offer pastoral support to pupils working remotely at home, informed and supported by training and expert advice that we have made available, including through the £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return scheme. Wellbeing for Education Return is an initiative led by the Department for Education alongside the Department for Health and Social Care, Health Education England, Public Health England and key voluntary sector organisations. Wellbeing for Education Return has trained local experts to provide additional advice and resources for schools and further education (FE) providers to help support the wellbeing, resilience and recovery of pupils, students, parents and carers and staff in light of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown.Slough Borough Council received Wellbeing for Education Return funding of £22,850 on 30 September 2020 to fund local mental health experts in the 2020-21 financial year. Across the whole of England, over 85% of local authority areas reported that they are delivering additional training and support into local schools and FE providers because of the Wellbeing for Education Return funding.Nationally, our information indicates that more than 15,000 education settings are being offered this additional training and support. The information and support made available through Wellbeing for Education Return is relevant to remote provision as well as to those attending school.Schools should make sure that parents and pupils know who to contact if they have new concerns about mental health and wellbeing, and that they understand what pastoral support is available. This is backed up by guidance that the department has issued for schools, which includes information and sources of further advice on supporting mental health and wellbeing: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.We have also put in place a £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package, with £650 million shared across early years, schools and 16-19 providers over the 2020-21 academic year to support education settings to put the right catch-up and pastoral support in place. The Education Endowment Foundation have published a COVID-19 support guide to support schools to direct this funding, which includes further information about interventions to support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.Whole-school approaches will include the new requirement for schools to teach about mental wellbeing as part of relationship, sex and health education (RSHE). The department is committed to supporting all schools in their preparations to teach RSHE, and has developed an online service featuring innovative training materials and an implementation guide. This support will cover all of the teaching requirements in the statutory guidance and will be inclusive of all pupils. We prioritised the production of the training module covering mental wellbeing, so that it was available before the end of the summer term last year: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-mental-wellbeing.To expand access to mental health support for children and young people with emerging mental health issues, we have committed to establishing new Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) in 20% to 25% of the country by 2023, as part of the additional support for children and young people’s mental health in the NHS Long Term Plan. MHSTs have been created to strengthen existing mental health support in education settings and to provide early intervention on mild to moderate challenges to mental health as well as helping staff within a school or college setting to provide a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. Where already established, MHSTs are adapting their services to continue supporting children and young people remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak.For those that need specialist support, the government continues to invest in and prioritise mental health. The NHS will receive around an additional £500 million this year to address waiting times for mental health services, give more people the mental health support they need and invest in the NHS workforce. The department will also be convening a task force to look at the effects on children, young people and staff in the education system and we will confirm the next steps as soon as possible.

Family Courts: Foster Care

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of delays in family court cases involving foster children on foster families.

Vicky Ford: The COVID-19 outbreak has had an impact on backlogs of cases in family courts. We are working closely with the judiciary, the Ministry of Justice and other key partners in the family justice system to make sure that we prioritise children’s welfare during this difficult and unprecedented time.I recognise the additional support that foster families need at this time. That is why we have provided £125,000 in additional funding for Fosterline to deliver free-to-access and specialist one-to-one support to foster families. The service has focussed on reducing the risk of breakdown in fostering placements to ensure stability for looked-after children and increasing capacity by providing new or prospective carers with access to the specialist information they need.

Further Education: Coronavirus

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria will be used to determine when to re-open further education colleges during the covid-19 outbreak.

Gillian Keegan: On Wednesday 27 January 2021, the government confirmed that education attendance restrictions should continue post-half term.This follows my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s announcement on 4 January 2021 of national restrictions and that the position would be kept under review during January, with pupils and young people expected to return to face to face learning at school and college after the February half term at the earliest if the public health data permitted this.Following an in-depth analysis of both the COVID-19 prevalence data and the data on NHS capacity, it has been concluded that this will not yet be possible, and that school and college attendance must continue to be limited to help support the reduction in the overall number of social contacts in communities.Further education (FE) providers will remain open for onsite attendance to vulnerable students, the children of critical workers and a small number of FE students and apprentices who would otherwise be completing their courses or apprenticeships in January, February or March 2021, where it is not possible for their training or assessment to be completed remotely. This includes:Those who are due to do a licence to practise, or other occupational competence, assessment in January, February or March 2021.Those training for some critical worker roles, for example engineering, health and social care, manufacturing technologies, nursing and subjects and vocations allied to medicine, transportation operations and maintenance, agriculture, education and training and building and construction (where this is connected to utilities and communications) that are due to complete in the next 3 months.  The decision to continue restricting attendance does not suggest that schools and colleges have become significantly less safe places for young people. Instead, limiting attendance is about continuing to support the reduction in the overall number of social contacts in our communities. This is a vital intervention in the context of a current stubbornly high prevalence of COVID-19.When Parliament returns from recess in the week commencing 22 February 2021, we intend to set out the results of our review and publish our plan for taking the country out of lockdown. We will continue to review restrictions in education and will ensure that remaining students and apprentices return to face-to-face education as soon as possible.

Schools: Mental Health Services

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he has made on ensuring that every school and college has a designated lead in mental health.

Vicky Ford: It is up to schools and colleges to decide whether to put in place a lead for mental health and more are doing so. Our latest figures from a survey in 2018 reported that over 80% of schools and colleges had a lead (82% of schools, 91% of further education colleges). An earlier survey in 2016 had suggested that around half had a lead (49% of schools, 69% of colleges).In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the government has prioritised providing bespoke training and support to as many schools and colleges as possible to meet the immediate challenges that they face in supporting the wellbeing of children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak. We provided seminars during the summer term last year which were accessed by thousands of staff in education and have funded the £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return scheme to provide advisers and further training to schools and colleges.All upper tier local authorities in England have identified a lead contact for Wellbeing for Education Return in September and October 2020 our national training provider, the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, trained 438 local experts. 85% of local authorities report that they are already delivering additional training and support to local schools and further education providers using the funding, with feedback indicating that this training and support is reaching more than 15,000 schools.In the longer term, to further incentivise schools and to support leads to put in place whole school approaches to promoting good mental health and wellbeing, the department has committed to provide training for senior mental health leads in all state-funded schools and colleges in England. This is part of our commitment to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, which also includes introducing new mental health support teams for all schools and colleges and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support. The training will equip senior mental health leads with the knowledge to introduce or develop their whole school/college approach to positive mental health and implement effective processes for ensuring pupils and students with mental health problems receive appropriate support. Since the autumn term the department has been undertaking a review of the needs of senior mental health leads in the light of COVID-19 outbreak and to incorporate learning from the Wellbeing for Education Return.Whole school approaches will include the new requirement for schools to teach about mental wellbeing as part of Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE). The department is committed to supporting all schools in their preparations to teach RSHE and has developed an online service featuring innovative training materials and an implementation guide. This support will cover all of the teaching requirements in the statutory guidance and will be inclusive of all pupils. We prioritised the production of the training module covering mental wellbeing, so that it was available before the end of the summer term last year: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-mental-wellbeing. The mental wellbeing module has been downloaded over 21,000 times.

Apprentices: Public Sector

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of public sector organisations have met the public sector apprentice target in each year since the target was introduced.

Gillian Keegan: Public sector bodies with 250 or more staff in England have a target to employ an average of at least 2.3% of their staff as new apprentice starts over the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2021. While the target period is divided into 4 reporting periods lasting a year each, the regulations state that the target will be measured as an average over the full 4-year target period. As such, we cannot determine which organisations have or have not met the target until the final returns for the 2020-21 reporting period have been made later this year.The latest public sector apprenticeship statistics cover the first 3 years of the target. The target-monitoring data returns that have been submitted so far by individual organisations are published via the following link: https://content.explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/api/download/apprenticeships-and-traineeships/2020-21/ancillary/e931cffc-3aab-4ce6-366a-08d8b2fbc21f.This data shows that, of the 865 public sector organisations that submitted returns in the latest 2019-20 reporting period (and have been included in national aggregates), 99 (11.4%) had employed, on average, at least 2.3% of staff as new apprenticeship starts over the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2020.The percentage above has been calculated based only on those organisations that made a return in the latest reporting period (2019-20).The average percentage of staff employed as new apprenticeship starts in each organisation is calculated across all the returns made by that organisation over the target period. Those that have not submitted in each of the 3 years have an average based just on the returns that have been made.Not all public sector organisations are in the scope of the target (for instance, those with headcounts of fewer than 250 employees are exempt).Additionally, in their returns, public bodies provide self-reported information on the employment period and headcount relating to the target. The onus is on individual bodies to be accountable for their programme and to publish this information independently as well as report progress to the department. The underlying data for the associated statistical releases exactly replicates the information supplied by public sector bodies. As such, the accuracy of these submissions cannot be completely verified in all aspects.

Special Educational Needs: Coronavirus

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that pupils with autism and other special educational needs and disabilities are adequately supported while schools are closed during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown period.

Vicky Ford: During this period of national lockdown, primary schools, secondary schools, further education (FE) colleges, alternative provision and special settings will remain open to vulnerable children and young people, including those with education, health and care plans (EHCPs).Where, for any reason, it is not possible for a child or young person with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) – including children both with an EHCP and those who are supported through SEND support – to attend their education setting during this period, they should receive remote education and support. The legal duty on schools and FE colleges to use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs of their pupils and students, including those supported through SEND support, remains unchanged, whether they are attending school or FE college or are at home for any period.To support remote learning, the department has made £4.84 million available for Oak National Academy, both for the summer term of the academic year 2019-20, and then for the 2020-21 academic year, to provide video lessons in a broad range of subjects for Reception up to year 11. This includes specialist content for pupils with SEND, along with therapy-based lessons and resources across occupational therapy, physical therapy, sensory therapy and speech and language therapy. A link to the Oak National Academy’s specialist resources can be found here: https://classroom.thenational.academy/specialist.To support schools to make up for lost learning time, the department has also provided a £1 billion package of support. This includes a £650 million catch up premium directly allocated to schools, with additional weighting for specialist settings, recognising the significantly higher per-pupil costs that they face. The package also includes a £350 million National Tutoring Programme, which will increase access to high-quality tuition for disadvantaged pupils, helping to accelerate their academic progress and tackling the attainment gap between them and their peers.To specifically support children and young people with autism, the department has funded the Autism Education Trust (AET) since 2011 to deliver autism awareness training to staff in early years settings, schools and colleges. To date, the AET has trained more than 287,000 people – promoting a whole-school approach to support for pupils with autism. Resources and training via the AET have been available throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.

Service Pupil Premium

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authority-maintained schools were in receipt of the Service Pupil Premium in each of the last five years.

Vicky Ford: The number of local authority-maintained schools in receipt of the Service Child element of the Pupil Premium in each of the last five years are shown below. The figures have decreased over the period due to the number of academy conversions in that time. The figures for financial year 2020/21 are also shown but are provisional, as the new and growing schools are due to be incorporated in the final quarterly update later this year.Financial YearNumber of LA maintained schools in receipt of the Service Pupil Premium2015-167,1022016-176,8682017-186,4052018-196,0622019-205,8552020-21 (provisional)5,820

Department for Education: Staff

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many officials in their Department were dedicated to their Department's responsibilities associated with the delivery of the Industrial Strategy in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019, (d) 2020 and (e) 2021.

Gillian Keegan: Numerous teams across the department have worked to develop and deliver policies that contribute to delivering the Industrial Strategy, so we are unable to quantify staff numbers in this respect.This includes teams focusing on: the introduction of ground-breaking T Levels; establishing new Institutes of Technology; developing the National Skills Fund; increasing funding for 16-19 provision; improving take up of science and maths at A level; improving digital education at all levels through changes to the curriculum and a new digital entitlements for adults; and the introduction of Skills Advisory Panels and the Skills Productivity Board.

Further Education: Assessments

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will support further education colleges to provide safe in-person practical exams where necessary.

Gillian Keegan: Following the recent announcement by the government that it is no longer viable for some exams and assessments to go ahead this academic year, exams and assessments for vocational and technical qualifications that require a student to demonstrate professional or occupational competence can continue to proceed in February and March 2021, with protective measures in place in line with Public Health England’s measures. The position on exams and assessments scheduled for April 2021 onwards is being considered in our joint consultation with Ofqual.Where exams and assessments can continue, public health guidance has been produced for all exam centres on the arrangements they should have in place to deliver exams and assessments, including those of a practical nature: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/responsibility-for-autumn-gcse-as-and-a-level-exam-series/public-health-arrangements-for-autumn-exams.

Vocational Education: Coronavirus

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on creating an apprenticeship scheme for students on vocational courses who have been unable to attend in-person practical courses as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Gillian Keegan: We are committed to supporting learners in Further Education to safely continue with, and complete, their programmes during the COVID-19 outbreak.Following the announcement of a new national lockdown on 4 January 2021, our guidance for further education providers on restricting attendance sets out that providers should use their best endeavours to deliver remotely as much of students’ planned hours as possible. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision. We recognise that this may be more challenging for some students, for example where a course necessitates the use of specialist equipment and supervision, or with respect to work experience and placements. Schools and colleges have been able to continue with the vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) exams that were due to take place in January, where they judged it right to do so. This may have been particularly important for occupational competence VTQs which can only be fulfilled through practical assessment, for example electrician. It was for providers to decide whether to put on the exam. If a student was unable to take their assessment this January, they may be able to take the assessment at a later date. In the event that is not possible, we will put in place arrangements to ensure they are not disadvantaged. Students have prepared for the assessments which are critical for them. It is right, given the importance, that those assessments were given priority alongside vulnerable students and children of key workers.Apprenticeships are jobs created by employers which provide apprentices with high-quality on and off-the-job training. They will be more important than ever in helping businesses to recruit the right people and develop the skills they need to recover and grow. We have introduced flexibilities to support apprenticeship training to continue, including encouraging the remote delivery of training where possible, and have also introduced flexibilities to 120 apprenticeships to allow end-point assessments for these standards to continue. Where it is not possible and practicable for the apprentice to continue training, a break in learning can be used to allow the apprentice to return to learning at a future date.To encourage employers to offer new apprenticeship opportunities we have introduced incentive payments for employers of up to £2000 for each new apprentice they hire under the age of 25 as part of our Plan for Jobs. These payments were extended until the end of March 2021 in the November 2020 Spending Review.We continue to work closely with employers and providers, and across government, to ensure a range of training opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to gain the skills they need.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) cases of covid-19 and (b) covid-19 related deaths there have been in each prison in Wales as at 1 February 2021.

Lucy Frazer: COVID statistics relating to prisoners are published every month. The latest published data covers the time period up until 31st Dec 2020 is provided below. The next monthly publication will cover data up to the end of Jan 2021 and will be published on 12th Feb here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hm-prison-and-probation-service-covid-19-statistics-monthly. The below cumulative positive cases of COVID-19 and COVID-19 related deaths have been confirmed for prisoners in prisons in Wales. All deaths listed have either had a laboratory confirmed positive test within 28 days of passing, a laboratory confirmed positive test within 60 days of passing or COVID 19 has appeared on the death certificate. Prisoner Cases as at 31st Dec 2020Prisoner Deaths as at 1st Feb 2021HMP Berwyn791HMP Cardiff1981HMP Parc1412HMP Swansea250HMP Usk/Prescoed931 5365  COVID statistics relating to staff are published every quarter. The latest published data covers the time period up until 31st Oct 2020 and is provided below. The next statistical release will cover the time period up until the end of January 2021 and will be published on 18th February here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics.The below cumulative positive cases of COVID-19 and COVID-19 related deaths have been confirmed for staff in prisons in Wales: Staff Cases as at 31st Oct 2020Staff Deaths as at 31st Oct 2020HMP Berwyn660HMP Cardiff300HMP Parc310HMP Swansea140HMP Usk/Prescoed221 1631 These figures include both directly and non-directly employed staff. Data on positive cases is self-reported with staff members notifying their manager of a positive test result. Staff deaths related to COVID-19 includes deaths where HMPPS staff have died having tested positive for COVID-19 or where there was a clinical assessment that COVID-19 was a contributory factor in their death.Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Much of the data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic has been done at pace, with recording practices evolving as we understand more about the requirements and conditions we are facing. In order to present the timeliest information, the data presented has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics.The safety of our staff and all those under our supervision remains our top priority. We have taken quick and decisive action – backed by Public Health England and Wales – to limit the spread of the virus.

Youth Custody: Coronavirus

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 11 of the Criminal Justice Inspectorates January 2021 report, Impact of the pandemic on the Criminal Justice System, what steps he is taking to reduce the digital divide amongst children under youth offending supervision.

Lucy Frazer: As a direct response to the lack of digital access amongst some of the children with whom Youth Offending Teams work, the Youth Justice Board has amended the terms and conditions in the Youth Justice Grant for 2020/21 to allow Youth Offending Teams, where appropriate, to use funds from their annual grant to provide children under their supervision with access to suitable equipment to facilitate regular virtual engagement. The Youth Justice Board is also revising its national protocol for case responsibility as part of new Case Management Guidance, which will take into account remote working and virtual service delivery. This is due for publication later this year. Within the custodial estate, the Youth Custody Service will be rolling out in-room technology in public sector under-18 Young Offender Institutions. This will help enhance connectivity, facilitate education, and improve outcomes for children in custody. It is also providing additional free phone credits and ‘virtual visits’ via the Purple Visits app. Local Authorities are responsible for Youth Offending Teams provision. In recognition of the fact that Local Authorities are best placed to decide how to meet Covid-19 service pressures in their area, the Government has allocated over £8 billion directly to councils since the start of the pandemic. Much of this funding is un-ringfenced and could be used to support any areas of local pressure, including potentially Youth Offending Teams. The Youth Justice Board works with Local Authorities and Directors of Children’s Services to provide strategic support as to how they can best provide for the needs of all their vulnerable children.

Berwyn Prison: Welsh Language

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Incentives and Earned Privileges warnings have been issued for use of the Welsh language in HMP Berwyn since 2017.

Lucy Frazer: No IEP warnings have been issued at HMP Berwyn for use of the Welsh Language since 2017. The Incentives and Earned Privilege policy at HMP Berwyn aims to incentivise residents to abide with community rules and engage in the prison regime to support rehabilitation and help prepare prisoners to lead crime-free lives on release, whilst allowing the establishment to consistently and fairly tackle poor behaviour. HMP Berwyn is committed to supporting its prisoners, which includes meeting the expectations of the Welsh Language Commissioner and helping encourage Welsh speaking at the prison. Every prison in Wales, including HMP Berwyn, has a Welsh Language Action plan and HMP Berwyn has a dedicated Welsh Language Lead who provide updates to their Diversity & Inclusion Committee, chaired by the Governor.

Question

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the treatment of autistic people in the criminal justice system.

Alex Chalk: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is committed to meeting the needs of all vulnerable people who come into contact with the criminal justice system, including those with neurodivergent conditions such as autism. We understand the importance of working closely with partners across government to support this cohort.That is why the Ministry of Justice have commissioned HMI Prisons and Probation, with support from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, to conduct an Independent Call for Evidence (CfE) on neurodiversity in the criminal justice system. The scope of the CfE includes requiring the police to provide a more holistic picture of a neurodivergent individual’s contact with the CJS. The review was launched on 18th December 2020, with findings planned to be published in Summer 2021.The findings of this CfE will inform a national neurodiversity training toolkit for frontline staff in the Criminal Justice System that was announced in our Sentencing White Paper and we will work closely with the Home Office on next steps to support the needs of neurodivergent individuals that enter the CJS.Furthermore, the Department of Health and Social Care are currently leading a refresh of the cross-government Autism Strategy, and the MoJ contribution to the strategy includes work to improve data capture on autism, and to increase – through training and awareness – the ability of prison and probation staff to better understand and support individuals with autism.The MoJ is also working with officials across government, including the Home Office, as part of the Cabinet Office-led National Strategy for Disabled People. This represents an opportunity to develop cross-government wide policies to support people with disabilities, including autism.

Treasury

Small Businesses: Non-domestic Rates

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending small business rate relief to landlords that have lost rental income from commercial properties as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman: Businesses in receipt of their own business rates assessment and which meet the criteria may be eligible for business rate reliefs, including Small Business Rate Relief. The Government has no plan to change eligibility for SBRR. The Government recognises the impact that the continued non-payment of rent has on landlords. The Government has made available over £330 billion of guarantees through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Coronavirus Corporate Financing Facility. These are available to businesses across different sizes and sectors, and directly support landlords with their cashflow issues. The Government is also continuing to work with lenders to ensure flexible support is being provided to commercial landlords.

Non-domestic Rates: Tax Allowances

Giles Watling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to extend business rates relief for non-essential businesses beyond the 2020-21 tax year.

Jesse Norman: This year the Government has provided an unprecedented business rates holiday for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, and nurseries, due to the direct adverse effects of COVID-19, worth about £10 billion. At the 2020 Spending Review, the Government committed further support to all businesses by freezing the business rates multiplier for 2021-22. The Government is considering options for reliefs for 2021-22. As announced in a Written Ministerial Statement on 3 February, the Government will outline the next round of COVID-19 support measures at Budget.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Pregnancy

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the letter of 12 January 2021 from Maternity Action, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives recommending that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme be amended to enable employers to recover the full cost of a maternity suspension on full pay of a woman who is 28 weeks pregnant or more, what estimate his Department has made of the monthly cost to the Exchequer of implementing that proposal.

Jesse Norman: The objective of the CJRS is to enable employers to keep people in employment. In order to achieve this, the grants compensate employers for the payments that they are contractually obliged to make in order to avoid the need for redundancies. Covering maternity suspension would go beyond the objectives of the scheme. It is also the case that the level of support provided through the CJRS must remain the same for all employers and employees, and that the CJRS is only one part of a wider package of support for business and individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, the Government has provided support for people, businesses and public services totalling an estimated £280 billion. In particular, businesses have received billions in loans, tax deferrals, Business Rate reliefs, and general and sector-specific grants. This support can be used by businesses to top up the CJRS grant, ensuring that they can suspend pregnant employees on full pay.

Business: VAT

Alan Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of further business VAT deferrals in response to the ongoing covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Government continues to make timely decisions to support businesses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 600,000 payments were deferred to the value of £34bn through the VAT payments deferral scheme, which ended on 30 June 2020. As part of the Winter Economy Plan, the Government announced further support for those with deferred VAT. Instead of paying the full deferred VAT outstanding by 31 March 2021, businesses can spread what they owe over up to 11 smaller monthly payments. More information is available at www.gov.uk/hmrc/vat-deferral. There are currently no plans to launch another VAT deferral scheme.

Customs Grant Scheme

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether additional funding will be made available for the Customs Grant Scheme.

Jesse Norman: Businesses have been applying enthusiastically to the Grant Scheme and the Government is nearing full allocation of the funds. Applications are considered on a first come first served basis. If applications cannot be fulfilled due to funding, applicants will be placed on a waiting list to have funds allocated if and when funds are returned. There is also support available for businesses through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), and related schemes. These schemes can be accessed even if a business has applied for grants, and they provide support for businesses that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Loans can be used for any purpose, including for growth.

UK Trade with EU: VAT

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what impact assessment the Government has undertaken of the (a) compliance costs of the UK’s exit from the EU VAT area and (b) additional costs for UK traders and consumers receiving direct mail order supplies from EU businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: As with all new tax measures the Government includes its assessment of the impacts of the changes in Tax Information and Impact Notes. Notes for measures recently legislated for in the Taxation (Post-transition Period) Act were published alongside that legislation.

Taxation (Post-transition Period) Act 2020: Impact Assessments

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he has made an impact assessment of the Taxation (Post-transition Period) Act 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Tax Information and Impact Notes were published for each measure in the Taxation (Post-transition Period) Act 2020, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taxation-post-transition-period-bill.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason HMRC do not accept Commonwealth, EU or other overseas passports as proof of identification for people completing their self-assessment tax returns online.

Jesse Norman: HMRC do not have access to other countries’ passport databases so they are unable to check the validity of overseas passports in the same way as they can with UK passports.

Personal Care Services: VAT

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the temporary VAT reduction to 5 per cent to hair salons.

Jesse Norman: The temporary reduced rate of VAT was introduced on 15 July to support the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and protect 2.4 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors, and will run until 31 March 2021. This policy will cost over £2 billion, and it is necessary for a boundary for eligibility to be drawn. The Government keeps all taxes under review, and any future decisions on tax policy will be made at Budget. The Government has announced a significant support package to help businesses from a whole range of sectors through the winter months, which includes an extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, an extension of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant, and an extension of the application window for the Government-backed loan schemes.

Stamp Duties

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing all housing sales agreed during the period of reduced stamp duty rates that complete after the cut ends to be eligible for that discount.

Jesse Norman: The temporary SDLT relief was designed to stimulate immediate momentum in a property market where property transactions fell by as much as 50 per cent during the COVID-19 lockdown in March. This has also supported the jobs of people whose employment relies on custom from the property industry, such as retailers and tradespeople. The relief applies to sales that have completed or have been substantially performed before 31 March 2021. Completion and substantial performance are recognised legal concepts and using them as trigger points for Stamp Duty Land Tax provides certainty to consumers and to HMRC. There is no standard definition of “sale agreed” in a housing transaction and so moving the trigger point for a transaction to “sale agreed” would lead to uncertainty and confusion amongst home buyers. This lack of certainty would also mean that such a trigger point would be open to abuse.

Aviation: Coronavirus

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what new fiscal steps he plans to take to support the aviation sector in response to the potential economic effects of the Government’s hotel quarantine policy on that sector.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government recognises the challenging circumstances facing the aviation industry as a result of Covid-19 and firms experiencing difficulties can draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including schemes to raise capital and flexibilities with tax bills. The aerospace sector and its aviation customers are being supported with almost £11 billion made available through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility and grants for research and development. This includes £8bn of UK Export Finance Guarantees.The Chancellor also announced on 17 December that the CJRS will be extended until April, with employees receiving 80% of their usual salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. This will continue to protect jobs and businesses across the UK in light of recent developments in the path of the virus. The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme announced on 24 November will also provide support for eligible businesses, up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m. This is intended to help reduce cash burn and could unlock shareholder and lender support.

Hospitality Industry and Retail Trade: Coronavirus

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether plans he has to provide further support to (a) retail and (b) hospitality businesses after the national covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government understands that this is a very challenging time for the UK’s retail and hospitality sector, and at the upcoming budget the Government will outline the next stages of its plan for jobs to support businesses and families across the UK. In January the Chancellor announced one-off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property to help businesses through to the Spring. The cash is provided on a per-property basis to support businesses through the latest restrictions, and is expected to benefit over 600,000 business properties, worth £4 billion in total across all nations of the UK. This grant comes in addition to the Local Restriction Support Grants worth up to £3,000 a month for closed businesses. A further £594 million is also being made available for Local Authorities and the Devolved Administrations to support other businesses not eligible for the grants, that might be affected by the restrictions. This funding also comes in addition to £1.1 billion further discretionary grant funding for Local Authorities. The Government is also delivering support to the retail and hospitality sector through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) which has been extended until April; Government backed finance through loan schemes, ‘Pay as You Grow’ long-term repayments options, a VAT cut, a VAT deferral for up to 12 months, a 12-month business rates holiday; and a moratorium on evictions to protect commercial tenants.

Treasury: Staff

Darren Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many officials in their Department were dedicated to their Department's responsibilities associated with the delivery of the Industrial Strategy in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019, (d) 2020 and (e) 2021.

Kemi Badenoch: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is responsible for the overall delivery of the Industrial Strategy.

Advertising: Taxation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with stakeholders on the potential merits of introducing an advertising tax credit for UK media companies in order to stimulate the economy.

Jesse Norman: The Government keeps all tax policy under review and regularly receives proposals for sector-specific tax reliefs. When considering any new tax reliefs, HM Treasury must ensure they provide support to businesses across the economy in a fair way and represent good value for money for the taxpayer.

London Capital and Finance: Insolvency

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish details on the Government’s approach to the compensation scheme for London Capital & Finance bondholders.

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the report of the Independent Investigation into the Financial Conduct Authority’s Regulation of London Capital & Finance plc by Dame Elizabeth Gloster, published in November 2020, whether the 11,625 London Capital & Finance bondholders will be offered compensation for their losses.

John Glen: I refer the Honourable Member to my answer given on 28 January to PQ UIN 143081. The Written Ministerial Statement of 17 December 2020 set out the three main channels through which London Capital & Finance plc (LCF) bondholders can seek compensation. These are the administration process, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), and the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Complaints Scheme. The Written Ministerial Statement also set out that, taking into consideration the specific and complex set of circumstances surrounding the collapse of LCF, the Treasury will set up a compensation scheme which will assess whether there is justification for further one-off compensation payments in certain circumstances for some LCF bondholders. The Government will announce further details in due course.

Financial Services: Fraud

Pat McFadden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether fraud is an agenda item for the memorandum of understanding to be negotiated between the UK and the EU on financial services; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: We have committed, with the EU, to agreeing a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a framework for regulatory cooperation. This will allow for ongoing bilateral exchanges of views and analysis relating to regulatory initiatives and other issues of interest. This is not a prescriptive or exhaustive approach and will allow for discussions on a range of regulatory issues which are of common interest.

Cash Dispensing

Paul Maynard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to maintain banking industry membership of (a) LINK and (b) the Post Office Banking Framework.

John Glen: The Government continues to be fully supportive of the Post Office Banking Framework Agreement. The agreement allows 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers to carry out their everyday banking at 11,500 Post Office branches in the UK until December 2022. The terms of future Banking Framework Agreements are commercial decisions between industry and the Post Office. The Government will continue to engage with industry and the Post Office to ensure that that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have access to over the counter banking services.Since 1998, all the major UK banks and building societies have participated in LINK, enabling their ATMs to be used by customers of the other members of the network. Presently, ATMs are the most commonly used means of withdrawing cash. Membership to LINK is a commercial decision.

Retail Trade: Non-domestic Rates

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the removal of business rates relief on independent retailers.

Jesse Norman: The unprecedented full business rates holiday for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties for the financial year is worth about £10 billion to business in 2020-21. The Government will continue to look at how to adjust its support in a way that ensures people can get back to work, protecting both the UK economy and the livelihoods of people across the country. The Government is considering options for reliefs for 2021-22 and will outline the next round of COVID-19 support measures at Budget.

Museums and Galleries: Tax Allowances

Claire Hanna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of extending the Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief due to conclude in April 2022.

Jesse Norman: Since the Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief (MGETR) was introduced in 2017, the Government has provided a total of £20 million of support to 1,345 exhibitions. The Government has committed to reviewing MGETR before its expiry in 2022. Further information will be provided in due course.

Gyms: Coronavirus

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has in place to financially support the gym and fitness sector (a) during the covid-19 lockdown and (b) after the lockdown restrictions are eased.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government recognises the significant disruption the necessary actions to combat Covid-19 are having on sectors such as the gym and fitness industry. During this difficult time the Treasury has worked intensively with employers, delivery partners, industry groups, and other government departments to understand the long-term impact of Covid-19 on all key areas of the economy and continues to do so. The Government has already announced considerable and unprecedented support for businesses and individuals. Businesses forced to close can claim grants of up to £3,000 per month (worth over £1 billion per month) through the Local Restrictions Support Grants (Closed). Any business in England forced to close due to national or local restrictions can claim grants, via their local authority, of up to £3,000 per month, per business premises, depending on rateable value. In addition, on 5th January, the Government announced an extra £4.6 billion to protect jobs and support affected businesses as restrictions tightened. Businesses forced to close can claim a one-off grant of up to £9,000. Local authorities in England have also been awarded an additional £500 million discretionary funding to support their local businesses. This builds on the £1.1 billion discretionary funding (worth £20 per head of population) which local authorities in England have already received to support their local economies and help businesses that have been impacted. The government has introduced the £100 million National Leisure Recovery Fund, to support publicly owned leisure facilities through this crisis. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has been extended until the end of April. This provides a substantial grant for employers to cover 80% of the wages of their employees. As of 13 December, CJRS has supported 9.9 million jobs at the cost of approximately £46.4bn. We will continue to monitor the impact of government support on public services, businesses, individuals and sectors, including the gym and fitness sector, as we respond to this pandemic. The upcoming Budget will be an opportunity to take stock of our wider support and set out the next stage of our economic response to the pandemic; however it must be recognised that it will not be possible to preserve every job or business indefinitely, nor stand in the way of the economy adapting and people finding new jobs or starting new businesses.

Treasury: Marketing

Owen Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department spent on (a) communications, (b) advertising and (c) marketing in (i) the UK, (ii) England, (iii) Northern Ireland, (iv) Scotland and (v) Wales in each month from August 2020 to December 2020.

Kemi Badenoch: The table below shows the costs spent across the three Spending Categories in the period 1st August 2020 to 31st December 2020. The figure for (a) communications is the costs of the Communications Team in HM Treasury. For (b) most of the spend is on advertising recruitment opportunities across a variety of platforms. For (c) no marketing spend was incurred in this period and the Department very rarely incurs such costs. CategoryAug-20Sep-20Oct-20Nov-20Dec-20Total(a) comms£209,806£216,615£207,735£220,642£207,065£1,061,863(b) advertising£0£6,331£1,575£11,818£7,227£26,951Grand Total£209,806£222,946£209,309£232,460£214,292£1,088,814  It is not appropriate to split this across the countries requested as all spend incurred is relevant across the UK and is not targeted to specific nations.

Health Professions: Tax Avoidance

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of doctors and nurses who have (a) been subject to the Loan Charge and (b) settled to avoid that charge.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many armed forces veterans (a) are subject to the Loan Charge and (b) have settled to avoid that charge.

Jesse Norman: I refer the Honourable Member to the answers given on 26 January 2021 to UIN 140966 and 140967.

Build Back Better Council: Public Appointments

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will appoint a representative from public transport to the Build Back Better Council.

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the criteria by which members of the Build Back Better Council were appointed.

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on appointing a public transport representative to the Build Back Better Council.

Kemi Badenoch: All members of the Build Back Better Business Council were appointed by the Prime Minister in an individual capacity in January 2021. The Council is co-chaired by the Prime Minister and Chancellor, with the Business Secretary as a standing member, and other Cabinet Ministers attending as required. Members have been selected to bring together a broad range of business leaders from across the whole British economy to work in partnership with the government to unlock investment, boost job creation, promote Global Britain and level up the whole of the UK. The terms of reference will be published on Gov.uk. This council is in addition to the regular and ongoing engagement with the transport sector across Downing Street and other Government departments. The Public Transport sector and related bodies are important stakeholders and continue to feed into work across Government on economic recovery and future growth.

Roads: Fees and Charges

Sarah Olney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he had had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of introducing road pricing for inter-urban journeys.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to reduce fuel duty and vehicle excise duty income streams and replace that income with revenue from inter-urban road pricing in a manner that is revenue neutral for the average motorist.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the transition towards electric vehicles and the phase out of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will make a vital contribution to this. As we move forward with this transition, we will need to ensure that revenue from motoring taxes keeps pace with this change, so that we can continue to fund the first-class public services and infrastructure that people and families across the UK expect. The Government has not set out that it will introduce road pricing. Any changes to the tax system will be considered by the Chancellor and any further steps will be announced in due course.

Treasury: Apprentices

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.

Kemi Badenoch: The headcount and proportion of apprentices within HM Treasury as at the 31st of December are: Number of apprentices83Proportion of department4.2%

Gyms: Taxation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what measures he is taking to reduce the burden of taxation on gyms and exercise centres during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman: The Government has introduced an unprecedented full business rates holiday for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties which is worth about £10 billion to businesses in 2020-21. This is just one part of a much wider package of support for those affected by the pandemic. The Government is considering options for reliefs for 2021-22 and will outline the next round of COVID-19 support measures at Budget.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Ian Mearns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has plans to extend the 12 month interest and payment holiday under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme for (a) hospitality and (b) other businesses that may still be closed or operating at a reduced capacity when the first payment is due.

John Glen: Under the Bounce Back Loan scheme, no repayments are due from the borrower for the first 12 months of the loan, giving businesses the breathing space they need during this difficult time. In addition, the Government covers the first 12 months of interest payments charged to the business by the lender. In order to give businesses further support and flexibility in making their repayments, the Chancellor has announced “Pay as You Grow” (PAYG) options. PAYG will give businesses the option to repay their Bounce Back loan over ten years. This will reduce their average monthly repayments on the loan by almost half. Businesses will also have the option to move temporarily to interest-only payments for periods of up to six months (an option which they can use up to three times), or to pause their repayments entirely for up to six months (an option they can use once and only after having made six payments). Together, the 12-month payment holiday and interest-free period for borrowers, along with the PAYG options, form part of the Government’s unprecedented £280 billion support package for businesses to protect jobs - including paying wages through the furlough schemes and self-employed support payments, generous grants, tax deferrals.

Non-domestic Rates

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to extend the temporary full business rates holiday for the (a) retail, (b) hospitality, (c) leisure and (d) childcare sectors to the 2021-22 financial year: and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: This year the Government has provided an unprecedented business rates holiday for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, and nurseries, due to the direct adverse effects of COVID-19, worth over £10 billion. In the 2020 Spending Review, the Government committed further support to businesses by freezing the business rates multiplier for 2021-22, and providing £44 million next year to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers. This is on top of the additional £66 million increase confirmed in Spending Round 2019. The Government is considering options for reliefs for 2021-22, and will outline the next round of COVID-19 support measures at Budget.

Gaming Machines: VAT

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the trade association for the amusement machine industry and supply chain (BACTA) on its eligibility for the VAT reduction to 5 per cent; and if he agree to attend a meeting with BACTA.

Jesse Norman: The Government has provided extensive guidance on the VAT treatment of cross-border goods and services following the end of the transition period and is committed to supporting businesses to enable them to continue to trade. As with all tax measures, where new changes have been introduced, the Government includes its assessment of the impacts of the changes in Tax Information and Impact Notes. Notes for measures recently legislated for in the Taxation (Post-transition Period) Act were published alongside that legislation.

VAT: Surveys

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a comprehensive survey of the UK’s VAT regime after the transition period; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Government has provided extensive guidance on the VAT treatment of cross-border goods and services following the end of the transition period and is committed to supporting businesses to enable them to continue to trade. As with all tax measures, where new changes have been introduced, the Government includes its assessment of the impacts of the changes in Tax Information and Impact Notes. Notes for measures recently legislated for in the Taxation (Post-transition Period) Act were published alongside that legislation.

Hospitality Industry and Retail Trade: Non-domestic Rates

Marco Longhi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will confirm that business rates for hospitality and non-essential retail businesses will be waived for a further 12 months covering the 2021-22 financial year to aid them in their recovery from the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman: This year the Government has provided an unprecedented business rates holiday for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties due to the direct adverse effects of COVID-19, worth about £10 billion, and has frozen the business rates multiplier for all businesses for 2021-22. The Government is considering options for further COVID-19 related support through business rates reliefs. In order to ensure that any decisions best meet the evolving challenges presented by COVID-19, the Government will outline plans for 2021-22 reliefs in due course.

Revenue and Customs: Audit

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the HMRC was last audited.

Jesse Norman: The National Audit Office undertake an annual audit of the HMRC accounts. The latest audit findings were published on 5 November 2020 alongside the HMRC Annual Report and covered the period 2019-20.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme

Sam Tarry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints (a) his Department and (b) HMRC received from self-employed people who were unable to access the self-employment income support scheme; and whether his Department has conducted an impact assessment for that scheme on people with protected characteristics.

Jesse Norman: The information requested in point (a) is not held centrally by HM Treasury, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. On point (b), the Customer Services Group at HMRC received 7,253 complaints about the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). Of this number, 89 per cent were not fully upheld. Approximately 82 per cent of the total complaints were in relation to eligibility for the SEISS. The Government takes equality considerations seriously and has been careful to give due regard to its Public Sector Equality Duties throughout its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In designing and refining the SEISS scheme, the Treasury undertook an analysis of how this may affect individuals with protected characteristics, in line with its Public Sector Equality Duty, and to ensure that equalities considerations inform the decisions taken by ministers.

UK Trade with EU: VAT

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what statutory provisions effected the changes to the UK’s VAT regime at the end of the transition period; and what estimate he has made of the cost to business of complying with each provision.

Jesse Norman: The changes to the UK’s VAT regime for the end of the transition period were made in the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018, the Taxation (Post-transition Period) Act 2020 and a number of statutory instruments. The impact of these changes is included in various impact assessments and Tax Information and Impact Notes. Links to the legislation and relevant documents are available on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/government/collections/customs-vat-and-excise-uk-transition-legislation-from-1-january-2021 and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taxation-post-transition-period-bill.

Stock Market: Internet

Alyn Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) Trading 212, (b) Robinhood and (c) other stock trading companies protect consumer rights to buy and sell stocks.

John Glen: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the UK’s financial markets conduct regulator and is responsible for protecting consumers, ensuring market integrity and promoting effective competition. As set out in the FCA’s statement of 29 January, broking firms are not obliged to offer trading facilities to clients and may withdraw or suspend services if it is necessary or prudent to do so. The FCA’s statement also said that they would take appropriate action wherever they see evidence of UK firms or individuals causing harm to UK consumers or markets. The Government recognises that the pace and creativity of innovation in UK financial services creates new opportunities for businesses and consumers to participate in markets through technologies such as app-based platforms. However, investors should be aware that investing in securities comes with risks. The FCA’s statement of 29 January warned consumers that any losses that result from such investments are unlikely to be covered under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Mortgages: Coronavirus

Sarah Olney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the mortgage payment holiday scheme for business owners in financial difficulties as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

John Glen: We have extended the period that borrowers can apply for a mortgage holiday to support all homeowners in financial distress. Mortgage borrowers who have not yet taken a payment holiday are able to take a payment holiday for up to six months. Borrowers who have taken an initial payment holiday can top this up to six months. The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA’s) guidance released on 17 November sets out that mortgage holidays (up to a maximum of 6 months) will remain an option for borrowers until 31 March 2021. However, the FCA guidance also notes that all payment holidays will need to end by 31 July 2021. For borrowers that have already taken a full six months payment holiday, the FCA’s guidance sets out that firms should continue to provide support through tailored forbearance options for those borrowers that are facing ongoing financial difficulties. This could include granting new mortgage payment holidays. For businesses and business owners needing further support the business lending schemes are still open for applications, these loans can be used for any business purposes.

Free Zones: National Security

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the potential effect of Freeports on national security; what the outcomes of those discussions were; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Barclay: Our Freeport model ensures that the UK’s high standards with respect to security will not be compromised. The Freeports Consultation Response committed that Freeports will adhere to the OECD Code of Conduct for Clean Free Trade Zones and the specific anti-illicit trade and security measures therein, and that the current obligations set out in the UK’s Money Laundering Regulations 2017 will be maintained. As part of the bidding process, bidders will have to show how they will meet the minimum standard of security in customs and tax sites before being able to operate as a Freeport.

Free Zones: Non-domestic Rates

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on local government finances for particular authorities in the event that existing businesses paying national non-domestic rates use Freeport status in neighbouring authorities to relocate their premises, rendering their previous premises eligible for empty relief; what estimate he has made of (a) the number of businesses that may move to existing premises in respect of either particular Freeports or the wider Freeports policy and (b) the total amount of empty relief in respect of national non-domestic rates as a result of the Freeports policy; and if he will publish the model assumptions, parameters, calculations and methods which underpin those assessments.

Steve Barclay: Tax measures have been carefully designed to avoid displacement and the government will ensure it has the power to prevent access where businesses or operators are found to be abusing reliefs Bidders will be required to explain how their choice of tax site locations minimise displacement of economic activity from wider local areas, especially other economically disadvantaged areas. Freeports will encourage investment from around the world and within the UK to create new businesses and new economic activity in Freeports. This will create jobs in deprived communities across the country, rather than harmful displacement.

High Rise Flats: VAT

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue her Department has collected from VAT on the provision of Waking Watch services in high-rise private residential properties with defective cladding in each financial year since 2017-18.

Jesse Norman: The Government does not hold information on the amount of VAT collected from Waking Watch services. Businesses are not required to provide information at this level in their tax returns as this would impose an excessive administrative burden. On 17 December 2020 the Government announced a new £30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund which is designed to incentivise the installation of a common alarm system in high rise residential buildings with unsafe cladding and reduce the dependency on expensive Waking Watch measures. The Waking Watch Relief Fund Full Fund Application Guidance, which sets out eligibility criteria and details of the application process, was published on 31 January and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waking-watch-relief-fund.

High Rise Flats: VAT

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many high-rise private residential properties have had their work to remove defective cladding subject to (a) the zero rate, (b) the 5 per cent reduced rate and (c) the standard rate of VAT in each financial year since 2017-18.

Jesse Norman: The Government does not keep figures of the number of cladding cases that have had the zero, reduced or standard rate of VAT applied to them because businesses are not required to provide that level of detail in their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden. The Government has provided £1.6 billion for the remediation of unsafe cladding from the highest risk buildings. Building owners are responsible for keeping their buildings and residents safe and should meet remediation costs without passing them on to leaseholders, where possible.

High Rise Flats: VAT

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue that has accrued to the public purse from the charging of VAT on work to remove defective cladding from high-rise private residential properties in each financial year since 2017-18.

Jesse Norman: The Government does not hold information on the amount of VAT collected on work to remove defective cladding from high-rise private residential properties. Businesses are not required to provide information at this level in their tax returns as this would impose an excessive administrative burden. The Government has provided £1.6 billion for the remediation of unsafe cladding from the highest risk buildings. Building owners are responsible for keeping their buildings and residents safe and should meet remediation costs without passing them on to leaseholders, where possible.

High Rise Flats: VAT

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on the charging of VAT on the mandatory provision of Waking Watch services in high-rise private residential properties with defective cladding.

Jesse Norman: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption with the standard rate (20 per cent) applying to most goods and services. While the Government keeps all taxes under review, there are currently no plans to introduce a relief for Waking Watch services. On 17 December 2020 the Government announced a new £30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund which is designed to incentivise the installation of a common alarm system in high rise residential buildings with unsafe cladding and reduce the dependency on expensive Waking Watch measures. The Waking Watch Relief Fund Full Fund Application Guidance, which sets out eligibility criteria and details of the application process, was published on 31 January and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waking-watch-relief-fund.

Coronavirus: Quarantine

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of financial hardship on compliance with self-isolation rules during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Self-isolation is an essential part of the Test, Trace and Isolate system. If an employee is unable to work due to self-isolating, they may be eligible for their employer’s sick pay policy or Statutory Sick Pay. In order to reduce the financial barriers to self-isolation compliance, the Government has introduced the Test and Trace Support Payment. People who are instructed to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace and are on a qualifying means tested benefit, unable to work from home and will lose income as a result, may be entitled to a payment of £500 from their local authority. Those who are not on a qualifying benefit but meet the other criteria and will face financial hardship while self-isolating, may be eligible for a £500 discretionary payment. People who are self-isolating may also receive support with everyday tasks, such as collecting shopping, through the NHS Volunteer Responder scheme.

Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he will publish a dataset for the take-up of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme which provides, in respect of every individual participating venue, including those which are part of participating chain businesses with a number of venues at different locations, the number of meals funded by the scheme at each and every participating location, both (a) for each individual day of the scheme's operation and (b) in total.

Jesse Norman: HMRC are unable to provide claim details for individual businesses. There is a statutory requirement on HMRC to maintain the confidentiality of individual businesses’ affairs, with very limited exceptions, none of which applies to the information requested.

Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he will publish a dataset for the take-up of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme which lists the location of every individual participating venue, including those which are part of participating chain businesses with a number of venues at different locations.

Jesse Norman: When registering for the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, businesses agreed to names and addresses being published. This was made available publicly through a Restaurant Finder that is now closed. A separate list of the Scheme’s registration data for software developers is still available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eat-out-to-help-out-scheme-registration-data-for-software-developers/eat-out-to-help-out-scheme-registration-data-for-software-developers. This contains the details of all establishments for businesses with 25 or fewer establishments and the names of all large businesses (those with 26 or more establishments). Large businesses were not required to provide names and addresses of individual establishments. Not every registered establishment went on to participate in the scheme.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Shared Ownership

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department are taking to ensure that residents in a Shared Ownership Scheme are not disadvantaged by the terms of their lease, particularly in regard to service charge increases.

Christopher Pincher: On 8 September the Government confirmed the new model for Shared Ownership. The new model has reduced the minimum share to 10 per cent, introduced 1 per cent staircasing and introduced a 10-year period during which the landlord will support with the cost of repairs on new build homes. These reforms will help to make the scheme more consumer friendly, more accessible and fairer, leading to a better experience for a future generation of shared owners.In line with making Shared Ownership more consumer friendly, the Government believes very strongly that service charges should be transparent and communicated effectively, and that there should be a clear route to challenge or redress if things go wrong. The law is clear that service charges are payable only to the extent that costs have been reasonably incurred. In support of this, leaseholders, including shared owners, have the ability to apply to the Property Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal for a determination where they do not believe the charges are reasonable.The Government established an independent working group chaired by Lord Best to raise standards across the property sector, which also considered how fees such as service charges should be presented to consumers.  The working group published its final report to Government (see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulation-of-property-agents-working-group-report) and we are considering the report’s recommendations before announcing next steps.

Housing Act 1988

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to bring forward legislation to repeal Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988.

Christopher Pincher: The Government remains committed to abolishing Section 21 through a Renters’ Reform Bill which will enhance renters’ security. However, our collective efforts are currently focused on responding to the coronavirus outbreak.Repealing Section 21 represents the largest change to renting in 30 years and it is only right that the reforms are taken forward in a considered manner. It is important that providing tenants with greater security of tenure is balanced with an assurance that landlords are able to recover their properties where they have valid reasons to do so. This is vital to ensuring the future supply of good quality housing in the rented sector.We will bring forward the Renters’ Reform Bill at the appropriate time.

Buildings: Hampstead and Kilburn

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prohibit building owners from passing the remediation cost of cladding replacement to leaseholders and tenants in Hampstead and Kilburn constituency.

Christopher Pincher: Government guidance is clear that building safety is the responsibility of building owners and we have given expert advice on a range of safety issues to provide clarity.Building Owners should consider all routes to meet costs, including through warranties and recovering costs from contractors for incorrect or poor work. We have seen many responsible developers and building owners stepping up to take responsibility for correcting these defects - for example, in more than half of the high-rise private sector buildings with ACM cladding.Government also expects building owners who have already committed to pay for the removal and replacement of unsafe non-ACM cladding systems to honour their commitments.We recognise that there are cases where leasehold agreements will allow building owners or their managing agents to pass on remediation costs to leaseholders. That is why the Government is developing proposals to help to protect leaseholders, and we will provide more details as soon as we are in a position to do so.

Buildings: Hampstead and Kilburn

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of buildings in Hampstead and Kilburn constituency that (a) have combustible non-ACM cladding and (b) require EWS1 forms.

Christopher Pincher: Summary information from the External Wall Systems data collection are published in this Building Safety Programme data release: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-programme-estimates-of-ews1-requirements-on-residential-buildings-in-england/building-safety-programme-estimates-of-ews1-requirements-on-residential-buildings-in-england.Constituency analysis is not available.

New Homes Ombudsman

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2021 to Question 140777, when the New Homes Ombudsman is planned to be in place; and whether he plans to provide that ombudsman with the power to process complaints which arose prior to its formation.

Christopher Pincher: Provision for the New Homes Ombudsman will be brought forward through the Building Safety Bill which we will introduce when Parliamentary time allows. We continue to stay in touch with the industry-led New Homes Quality Board on its plans for a voluntary New Homes Ombudsman scheme, to be in place ahead of legislation.   As there will be different requirements for developers when they are members of the New Homes Ombudsman, the legislation will not apply retrospectively. We will set out transition arrangements to the New Homes Ombudsman scheme when arrangements for the scheme are in place. Consumers will still be able to seek redress using existing routes, including through consumer codes and warranty providers.

Building Safety Fund: Leeds

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what stage in the application process to the Building Safety Fund the application for West Point, Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4JL has reached.

Christopher Pincher: The Department is continuing to work with building owners to progress applications for the Building Safety Fund (BSF). Application progress is communicated to registrants who we expect will ensure that their residents are kept fully informed. Any registrants wishing to check their progress can also contact the BSF Registrations Team using the email address provided when they first register.

Buildings: Insulation

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reimburse leaseholders and tenants for increased service payments related to remedial cladding works since June 2017.

Christopher Pincher: Government guidance is clear that building safety is the responsibility of building owners and we have given expert advice on a range of safety issues to provide clarity.The Department has ongoing engagement with developers and building owners of private sector high-rise residential buildings (over 18 metres or six storeys, whichever is reached first) with unsafe cladding. This has led to the remediation of over half of high-rise residential buildings with unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding being funded by the developer, freeholder or through warranty claims, without passing the costs onto leaseholders. Furthermore, the Private Sector ACM Remediation Fund and the Building Safety Fund for the remediation of buildings with unsafe non-ACM cladding both require applicants to demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to recover the costs of replacing the unsafe cladding from those responsible through insurance claims, warranties or legal action.Government also expects building owners who have already committed to pay for the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding systems to honour their commitments.We recognise that there are cases where leasehold agreements will allow building owners or their managing agents to pass on remediation costs to leaseholders. That is why the Government is developing proposals to help to protect leaseholders, and we will provide more details as soon as we are in a position to do so.

Rented Housing

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the findings of the consultation on A New Deal for Renting: Resetting the Balance of Rights and Responsibilities Between Landlords and Tenants, which closed on the 12th October 2019.

Christopher Pincher: The Government remains committed to abolishing Section 21 through a Renters’ Reform Bill, which will enhance renters’ security. However, our collective efforts are currently focused on responding to the coronavirus outbreak.Repealing Section 21 represents the largest change to renting in 30 years and it is only right that the reforms are taken forward in a considered manner. The Government’s consultation ‘A New Deal for Renting: Resetting the Balance of Rights and Responsibilities Between Landlords and Tenants’ sought views on the best way to provide tenants with greater security, but also ensure that landlords are able to recover their properties where they have valid reasons to do so. This balance is vital to ensuring the future supply of good quality housing in the rented sector.We will publish a response to the consultation and bring forward a Renters Reform Bill to implement the reforms.

Buildings: Insulation

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce fraud in the assessment and certification of EWS1 forms.

Christopher Pincher: RICS are aware of potential fraudulent use of EWS1 forms. RICS coordinate with the police and trading standards on any cases brought to their attention.

Buildings: Insulation

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what agreements he has reached with (a) RICS, (b) UK Finance and (c) other stakeholders on reducing the requirement for EWS1 forms.

Christopher Pincher: Industry have confirmed that buildings without cladding do not need an EWS1 form. This was announced on 21 November 2020. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-steps-in-to-help-homeowners-caught-up-in-ews1-process.The Department estimates that this clarity will benefit 450,000 leaseholders.RICS has recently completed a consultation on guidance for valuers when using the EWS1 process. When published the final RICS guidance should offer further clarity on the buildings where the EWS1 process should be used.

Council Housing

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the number of households on council housing waiting lists in (a) the UK, (b) the North West and (c) Stockport.

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of changes in the level of demand for social housing in (a) the UK, (b) the North West and (c) Stockport since the beginning of the covid-19 outbreak; and what steps he is taking to provide support to local authorities and housing associations during that outbreak.

Christopher Pincher: The number of households in local authorities' waiting lists by local authority and region since 1997 is published in live table 600 which is published here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-rents-lettings-and-tenancies.   The latest available figures refer to 31 March 2020 It should be noted that the number of households on the waiting list is not the same as the number of households waiting. Households may apply to multiple authorities and authorities only "clean" their lists periodically. Local authority waiting list size can be affected by other factors, including reviews by local authorities to remove households who no longer require housing. The frequency of reviews varies considerably and so the total number of households on waiting lists is likely to overstate the number of households who still require housing.The Government is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and is investing over £12 billion in affordable housing over 5 years, the largest investment in affordable housing in a decade. This includes the new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, which will provide up to 180,000 new homes across the country, should economic conditions allow.The new Affordable Homes Programme will deliver more than double the social rent than the current programme, with around 32,000 social rent homes due to be deliveredAt Budget 2020 we introduced a lower PWLB rate for borrowing for a local authority’s Housing Revenue Account to support the delivery of new council housingThe Government has also taken steps to ensure that home moves can continue to take place, including into and within social housing, and that landlords can take steps to carry out repairs and safety inspections, provided these are undertaken in line with public health advice and the relevant coronavirus (COVID-19) legislation. The government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak includes advice for social landlords which makes clear that they will need to consider how to carry out their allocation and lettings activities in line with the current guidance on practical steps to reduce transmission of the virus, including for example how they conduct viewings and tenancy sign-ups. Guidance for landlords and tenants provides advice on how to carry out repairs and maintenance safely.

Help to Buy Scheme

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether potential home owners who have had their Help to Buy application approved under the previous scheme are allowed to use that loan until their property purchase is completed.

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Help to Buy scheme by a further six months.

Christopher Pincher: The Government recognises that there have been delays caused by COVID-19. Following the initial effects of COVID-19 with the hiatus to construction during the first national lockdown, on 31 July we announced changes to the scheme’s contractual deadlines which provided developers using Help to Buy an extra two months build time. Since then Homes England announced on 15 January that it will not enforce the practical completion deadline of 28 February 2021 for the current scheme, so maximising the remaining time available time for developers to build out.Further to this, reservations agreed before 30 June 2020, have been granted additional flexibility allowing such reservations to practically complete by 30 April and legally complete by 31 May 2021.Moreover, working in line with sector guidance, the construction industry has been allowed to continue during the subsequent covid-19 restrictions. Reservations for the current scheme were closed on 15 December providing builders sufficient time to complete their orders.These measures provide relief for developers to build out homes delayed by COVID-19. We nevertheless continue to monitor the situation closely.

Social Rented Housing: Finance

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support is being provided to local authorities and housing associations facing increased costs for maintaining and improving their ageing housing stock to meet current standards and those under the Charter for Social Housing Residents: Social Housing White Paper.

Christopher Pincher: The Charter for Social Housing Residents: Social Housing White Paper sets out a package of measures that will improve the lives of social housing residents in England, including a review of standards on decency and energy efficiency of existing stock.The Regulator of Social Housing requires homes to be maintained to at least Decent Homes Standard.The Decent Homes Standard has driven improvements to the quality of social housing. Between 2011 and 2016 Government provided a total of £1.76 billion to 45 councils across England to tackle the backlog of non-decent homes, making over 158,000 homes decent. In 2019, 12 per cent of dwellings in the social rented sector failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard. This is lower than the proportion of private rented (23 per cent) and owner occupied (16 per cent) homes.At the Chancellor’s summer economic update, the Government announced a £50 million demonstrator project and at the Spending Review 2020, the Chancellor announced £60 million of further funding to upgrade the least efficient social housing. The Fund will bring a significant amount of the social housing stock that is currently below EPC C up to that standard.

Owner Occupation: Low Incomes

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of trends in home ownership for people on low incomes in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands, (c) Coventry and (d) Coventry North East constituency over the last five years.

Christopher Pincher: The English Housing Survey is a continuous national survey that reports on housing trends at the national and regional level. Published tables, including the annual Headline reports, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/english-housing-survey.The English Housing Survey is not designed to provide data at a sub-regional level.

Harlow Council: Coronavirus

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much additional financial support the Government has provided to Harlow Council to support its response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Luke Hall: The Government has allocated over £8 billion directly to councils since the start of the pandemic, and at the Spending Review the Chancellor announced that councils are expected to receive an estimated £3 billion of additional support for COVID-19 in 2021-22. This takes the total support committed to councils in England to tackle the impacts of COVID-19 to over £11 billion.For Harlow Council, this means over £500k of additional unringfenced grant funding next year, on top of over £2 million of additional funding already allocated, of which over £1.5 million is unringfenced.For Essex County Council, this means over £28.8 million of additional unringfenced grant funding next year on top of over £153 million of additional funding already allocated, of which over £84.5 million is unringfenced.

Park Homes: Fees and Charges

Giles Watling: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2020 to Question 982 on Park Homes: Fees and Charges, what progress has been made on the introduction of primary legislation to change the pitch fee review inflationary index from the Retail Prices Index (RPI) to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) .

Eddie Hughes: The Government remains committed to improving protections for park home residents and this includes changing the pitch fee review inflationary index from the Retail Prices Index (RPI) to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).We are carefully considering the detailed policy of this and other commitments, to ensure they can be delivered effectively and will introduce the required legislation when the parliamentary timetable allows.Last year we delivered on our commitment to make Regulations introducing a fit and proper test for park home site owners or their manager.

Park Homes: Sales

Giles Watling: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made in the review of the 10 per cent commission of the price of a mobile home upon sale.

Eddie Hughes: We undertook an initial scoping study last year to identify gaps in the existing evidence base to ensure the research is thorough and comprehensive. The tendering process for the research will be concluded shortly.We will make residents and site owners aware of the timetable for the research before it commences to ensure they are able to fully participate and contribute to this important work.

Housing First

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the steps required to scale up Housing First programmes to reduce rough sleeping and homelessness.

Eddie Hughes: Housing First has an impressive international record in helping people with complex needs to recover and stay off the streets for good, which is why we awarded £28 million to pilot it at scale in three areas (the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region).The Government committed to expanding Housing First in its latest manifesto. We will use the findings of our comprehensive evaluation that is already underway, together with the experience of the three pilots, to inform next steps.Published Housing First evaluation reports can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-first-pilot-national-evaluation-reports

Sleeping Rough: Coronavirus

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies on facilitating moving on from emergency accommodation of the findings published in paragraph 15 on page 8 of the National Audit Office Investigation into the housing of rough sleepers during the COVID-19 pandemic, published on 14 January 2021.

Eddie Hughes: This Government has taken unprecedented steps to protect rough sleepers during the pandemic. This work has not stopped, and through Everyone In, by November we had supported around 33,000 people with nearly 10,000 in emergency accommodation and over 23,000 already moved on into longer-term accommodation.We have been in close contact with councils to develop plans for the coming months, supported by the Next Steps Accommodation Programme, which aims to ensure that as few people as possible return to the streets. This includes bringing forward 3,300 new homes this year for rough sleepers, backed by £150 million, leaving a national legacy of the Government’s support for these individuals.Through this programme and as part of the move on process, local authorities could bid for support for individuals, in line with legal restrictions, to determine or resolve their immigration status. Local authorities were also able to bid for funding to facilitate reconnections with friends or family through voluntary returns and provide employment support. The Home Office has also put in place a dedicated Rough Sleeping Support Service to prioritise support work and help people who sleep rough resolve their immigration status.For some people, who have received all available support, they may decide to return to their home country. For people who have no means of doing so, or who need some assistance, the Voluntary Returns Service can provide practical support to assist those who wish to return.The Government is also providing funding for charities and voluntary organisations across the country to provide help and information to vulnerable EU citizens applying to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Marketing

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much his Department spent on (a) communications, (b) advertising and (c) marketing in (i) the UK, (ii) England, (iii) Northern Ireland, (iv) Scotland and (v) Wales in each month from August 2020 to December 2020.

Eddie Hughes: Cabinet Office publishes expenditure on COVID-19 and other national campaigns on a rolling monthly basis on gov.uk as part of routine Government transparency arrangements.

Housing First

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the report, Implementing Housing First across England, Scotland and Wales, published by Crisis in August 2018, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people for whom Housing First homelessness provision would be effective; what the capacity is for Housing First homelessness provision; and how many additional Housing First homelessness places he plans to create over the next two years.

Eddie Hughes: Housing First has an impressive international record in helping people with complex needs to recover and stay off the streets for good, which is why we awarded £28 million to pilot it at scale in three areas (the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region). The pilots are now in their third year (ending in 2022/23) and have currently supported over 770 individuals across 23 local authorities into both permanent and temporary accommodation with over 560 clients moved into tenancies.Government committed to expanding Housing First in its latest manifesto and we will use the findings of our evaluation, together with our experiences from the three pilots, to inform next steps.Alongside Housing First pilots, the Government has funded a number of Housing First style schemes through the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) and Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) where local partners have identified a local need for this type of provision.We are also putting in place an unprecedented level of support to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over 2021/22. This includes £676 million in resource funding, a 60 per cent increase compared to the Spending Review in 2019. On 28 January we launched RSI 2021/22 and will continue to work closely with local authorities to understand their local needs.

Ministry of Defence

Veterans: Northern Ireland

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many ongoing investigations there are involving former serving personnel who served in Northern Ireland.

Johnny Mercer: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on armed forces personnel who served in Northern Ireland.

Johnny Mercer: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Northern Ireland Protocol (a) places limits on his Department's ability to conduct operations and (b) causes delays to those operations.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK's departure from the EU has created obstacles to moving military equipment between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

James Heappey: The Protocol is clear that it respects the essential state functions and territorial integrity of the UK. It therefore places no restrictions on military movements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Saudi Arabia: Military aid

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2021 to Question 143011 on Saudi Arabia: Training, for what reason disclosing that information would prejudice relations between the UK and another state; and for what reason disclosing similar information in the Answers of 6 July 2020 to Question 69656 and of 9 July 2020 to Question 69657 on Saudi Arabia: Military Aid was not deemed prejudicial to those relations.

James Heappey: The UK has an ongoing and wide-ranging defence engagement relationship with Saudi Arabia which is an important partner regionally and in tackling potential security and terrorist threats to both the UK and other countries.We consider the circumstances for disclosing information related to international training on a case-by-case basis. With regards to the information sought in the hon. Member's question, we have concluded that its release could prejudice international relations.

RAF Scampton

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with parties interested in the future use of RAF Scampton after its decommissioning.

Jeremy Quin: The Department is engaging with both Lincolnshire and West Lindsey Councils to explore potential uses for the site. However in line with disposals guidelines, no discussions have been held with any potential acquirors of the RAF Scampton site. Any interested third parties should register their interest with the department via DioAsp-AcqDispOffice@mod.gov.uk.

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to the Covenant Fund Trust were received by local authorities in each of the last five years; and what amount was distributed to successful applicants.

Johnny Mercer: All grants made by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust are available to view on their website:https://covenantfund.org.uk/.A total of 164 grants have been requested by Local Authorities since Financial Year (FY) 2015-16: 20 in FY 2015-16, 37 in FY 2016-17, 30 in FY 2017-18, 42 in FY 2018-19, 31 in FY 2019-20 and four in 2020-21. 117 of these applications were successful with grants being awarded. The total value of grants awarded to Local Authorities between FY 2015-16 and FY 2020-21 is £8,753,332.

Veterans: Foreign Nationals

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the immigration status of non-UK born veterans.

Johnny Mercer: The Secretary of State for Defence has met with the Home Secretary on a number of occasions, most recently in December 2020, to discuss how we could offer greater flexibility in future to serving personnel wishing to remain in the UK on discharge. Subject to collective agreement we will launch a public consultation in due course.The Office of Veterans Affairs in the Cabinet Office is the lead in relation to veterans with immigration concerns, and I met with the Immigration Minister in the Home Office last year to discuss the issue.

Veterans: Foreign Nationals

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many non-UK born veterans have sought judicial review of their Indefinite Leave to Remain applications in each the last 10 years.

Johnny Mercer: Judicial Reviews relating to immigration decisions including those seeking reviews of Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK applications are a matter for the Home Office. The Home Office have advised that most such cases would be dealt with via an Immigration Tribunal and there is no central data held on that.

Army Families Federation

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many cases the additional Army Families Federation immigration advisor appointed through the Armed Forces Covenant Trust has handled; and how many of those cases have resulted in a successful application since their appointment.

Johnny Mercer: In 2018, the Army Families Federation received a LIBOR grant distributed via the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT), to employ an additional adviser for a period of five years to provide support to Army families. The AFCFT had no role in the appointment of that adviser or oversight of their work. The Army Families Federation is an independent charity. As such the Ministry of Defence is not required to collect information about their work.

Veterans: Foreign Nationals

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of support that is available to non-UK born veterans on their Indefinite Leave to Remain visa applications (a) during their service and (b) once discharged.

Johnny Mercer: Information and advice is provided to Serving personnel from their Chain of Command, welfare staff Joint Service Publications, Defence Information Notices and the Service Leavers Guide. If the issue cannot be resolved at Unit level, or where specialist immigration advice or support is required, individuals will be sign posted to the appropriate organisations such as the Home Office.During transition from and after leaving the service, the Defence Transition Service (DTS) delivers a full range of transition support for individuals. This includes the provision of, tailored information and guidance. DTS will also facilitate access to support a service leaver may need, from other Government departments, local authorities, the NHS or trusted charities.After discharge, the Veterans UK Welfare Service provides support to all veterans both overseas and in the UK, regardless of nationality. This includes helping them to access the relevant information and advice about their individual circumstances.

Department for Work and Pensions

Winter Fuel Payments

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will commission a review on processes relating to winter fuel payments to ensure that all qualifying recipients are paid (a) accurately and (b) within agreed timescales.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Winter Fuel Payments

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to tackle delays in the payment of the winter fuel payment.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Winter Fuel Payments

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of the winter fuel payment were paid (a) prior to 31 December 2020 and (b) from 1 January to 1 February 2021; and how many payments remain outstanding.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Children: Maintenance

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of cases transferred from the Child Support Agency to the Child Maintenance Service where the debt has been written off; and what the value of debt that has been written off is to date.

Guy Opperman: Information regarding the legacy debt accrued under the Child Support Agency (CSA) that has been written off in cases which were transferred and held on Child Maintenance Service (CMS) systems is available on Gov.UK.Chapter 2: Main Stories, and bullet point 3 refers. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-september-2020-experimental/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-data-to-september-2020-experimental Paragraph 6 refers entitled. ‘CSA debt written off’.

Social Security Benefits: Standards

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the average waiting time at welfare assessment centres in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: I have interpreted your question to mean the average waiting time at Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assessment centres. The department does not monitor the average waiting time at the assessment centres for claims to PIP. The average waiting time at assessment centres for WCA in February 2020, was 14.9 minutes. As a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, all face to face assessments for health and disability benefits have been suspended in line with public health advice since March 2020. Where possible, paper based assessments are completed. However, the department has worked collaboratively with the health assessment providers and introduced telephone assessments. We have also introduced a trial of video assessments and once completed this will be evaluated and a decision made on the feasibility of wider roll-out. Once face to face assessments are reinstated we will work closely with suppliers to improve waiting times, whilst maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.

Contracts: Appeals

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of holding external contractors liable for costs incurred when appeals against decisions made by Assessment Centres are upheld by tribunal.

Justin Tomlinson: Assessment Providers do not make decisions on benefit claims. Decision Makers in the Department for Work and Pensions make the decision using all available evidence including the recommendations of the Assessment Provider.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2021 to Question 141547 on Social Security Benefits: Disability, what comparison her Department has made between the adequacy of (a) legacy benefits rates for disabled people and (b) universal credit following its £20 uplift.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2021 to Question 141547 on Social Security Benefits: Disability, what plans her Department has to review the rate of legacy benefits for disabled people in response to the covid-19 outbreak and the £20 uplift to universal credit.

Will Quince: No such assessment has been carried out. It should be noted we will spend over £55 billion this year (2020/21) on benefits to support people with health conditions and disabilities. This will increase by £1.6 billion to £57 billion in 2021/22. There are no plans to extend the temporary £20 uplift to legacy benefits. Claimants on legacy benefits can make a claim for Universal Credit (UC) if they think they will be better off and should check carefully their eligibility and entitlements under UC before applying, as legacy benefits will end when claimants submit their UC claim and they will not be able to return to them in the future. For this reason, prospective claimants are signposted to independent benefits calculators on GOV.UK. Neither DWP nor HMRC can advise individual claimants whether they would be better off moving to UC or remaining on legacy benefits. There are special arrangements for those in receipt of the Severe Disability Premium, who are now able to make a new claim to Universal Credit.

Access to Work Programme

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disabled workers have had their Access to Work application delayed; and for what reasons those applications were delayed.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested about Access to Work applications that have been delayed is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Access to Work Programme

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications have been received by the Access to Work programme in each year since its launch.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested on number of applications received is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs. However, the Access to Work statistics includes how many applications results in provision being approved from 2007/08 to 2019/20. Please see Table 3 of the Access to Work statistics. The latest Access to Work statistics can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/access-to-work-statistics-april-2007-to-march-2020

Kickstart Scheme: Third Sector

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) charities and (b) social enterprises have offered placements under the Kickstart scheme.

Mims Davies: We are currently not able to publish the number of approved placements by region or sector.

Universal Credit: Veterans

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of armed forces veterans who have been subject to universal credit sanctions since the rollout of the scheme.

Mims Davies: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Pensions: Canada

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions,  with reference to UK pensioners living in Canada, if she will make it her policy to agree to the formal request made by the Canadian Government for a reciprocal agreement covering the uprating of pensions.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work and Pensions plans to respond shortly on this issue.

Universal Credit

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to reduce the taper rate of universal credit during the covid-19 outbreak to help alleviate staff shortages.

Will Quince: Throughout the pandemic this Government has continued to support the lowest-paid families by targeting our support to those most in need by raising the national living wage, spending hundreds of billions to safeguard jobs, boosting welfare support by billions and introducing the £170m Covid Winter Grant Scheme. It has also pledged to put an extra £1.7 billion a year into Work Allowances by 2023/24, increasing them by £1,040 a year for working parents and disabled claimants. There are currently no plans to reduce the Universal Credit taper rate. This Government has already made significant investment to reduce it from 65% to 63% in 2017.

Department for Work and Pensions: Staff

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many officials in their Department were dedicated to their Department's responsibilities associated with the delivery of the Industrial Strategy in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019, (d) 2020 and (e) 2021.

Mims Davies: Given DWP’s strong focus on supporting individuals into employment a significant number of officials have been and continue to be involved in aspects of Industrial Strategy design and delivery. However, the Department does not keep this information centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.

Employment: Coronavirus

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support people who are considering changing careers as a result of the covid-19.

Mims Davies: Through our Plan for Jobs, the department is providing broad ranging support for all jobseekers who want to change career or employment sector, including those who are looking for work as a result of Covid 19. Currently, support includes Job Finding Support (JFS), Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPS) and Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS). In addition, the Restart programme is due to launch later this year, furthering support options.

Sick Pay: Coronavirus

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of the rate of Statutory Sick Pay on the level of compliance with self-isolation rules during the covid-19 outbreak; and if she will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: This government has a strong safety net that helps people who are facing hardship and are unable to support themselves financially and we have taken steps to strengthen that safety net as part of the government’s response to the pandemic.As part of strengthening this safety net we have made Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) payable from the first day of sickness absence from work, rather than the fourth – where an individual is self-isolating or shielding due to coronavirus and meets all SSP eligibility conditions.Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provides a minimum level of income for employees when they are sick or incapable of work. Employers are legally required to pay SSP to eligible employees who are off work sick or incapable of work, where employees meet the qualifying conditions. Some employers may also decide to pay more, and for longer, through Occupational Sick Pay.SSP is just one part of our welfare safety net and our wider government offer to support people in times of need. Where an individual’s income is reduced while off work sick and they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit and new style Employment and Support Allowance, depending on their personal circumstances. Working people on low incomes who are required to remain at home by NHS Test and Trace to help stop the spread of the virus and cannot work from home could be eligible for a £500 payment to financially support them while self-isolating.

Kickstart Scheme: Disability

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2021 to Question 133802 on Kickstart Scheme: Disability, what plans she has to record the main disability of participants ​by type of disability; and whether deafness will be one of the types of disability recorded.

Mims Davies: The Universal Credit system collects data on claimants disabilities but as this is voluntary we do not currently record specific type of disability or health condition of Kickstart participants. While we do plan to evaluate the experiences of disabled people participating in Kickstart, it will not be possible to quantify specific types of disability owing to the small sample sizes involved.

Employment: Disability

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2021 to Question 133801 on Disability Employment Advisors, how many disability employment advisors were employed in 2019-20; and what estimate she has made of the number who will be in employment by the end of the 2021-22 financial year.

Guy Opperman: During the 19/20 financial year, DWP employed approximately 685 Disability Employment Advisers across England, Scotland and Wales. DWP aims to increase this number during the 21/22 financial year.

Ventilation: Coronavirus

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) formal written advice notices and (b) enforcement notices issued by HSE in each month since March 2020 were in relation to (i) employee safety concerns arising from covid-19 and (ii) concerns of inadequate ventilation as a risk of covid-19 transmission.

Mims Davies: Since March 2020, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has dealt with 18337 COVID-19 workplace concerns and has carried out a total of 103011 COVID-19 spot checks. Table 1 below shows the numbers of COVID-19 workplace concerns and spot checks resulting in written correspondence and enforcement notices. HSE’s systems do not record the level of detail which would be required to establish how many concerns related to inadequate ventilation, therefore it is not possible to determine what proportion of the cases identified related specifically to ventilation concerns. Table 1  COVID concerns with an outcome of 'Written correspondence'COVID concerns with an outcome of NoticeCOVID spot checks with an outcome of ‘Written correspondence’COVID spot checks with an outcome of Notice Mar-200000Apr-2045100May-2042831Jun-203810188Jul-2041412825Aug-2022313423Sep-2039516030Oct-2032025130Nov-2036112722Dec-2016010414Jan-21151637February 2021 (to 02.02.21)0020Totals32633990160  Note: This data was extracted from HSE’s live operational database on 3rd February 2021 and is subject to change e.g. as there can be a delay of up to 10 working days before actions are updated on the database.

Kickstart Scheme

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new job placements are being funded by the Kickstart programme.

Mims Davies: As of 22/01/2021, there have been  over 110,000 new job placements approved for funding by the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart scheme. We are actively seeking more Kickstart job placements that can start before December 2021 and would welcome further applications from employers.

Kickstart Scheme

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work placements have been created under the Kickstart scheme as of January 2021.

Mims Davies: As of 19/01/2021 there have been  over 110,000 jobs approved by the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme.

Kickstart Scheme

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the number of (a) jobs created by, (b) placement started at and (c) applications made to the Kickstart scheme.

Mims Davies: As of 19/01/2021, there have been (a)  over 110,000 job placements created, (b) 1,916 young people starting job placements and (c) 6,530 applications to, the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Kashmir: Human Rights

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take diplomatic steps to support the International People's Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Kashmir.

Nigel Adams: The UK condemns the state of emergency imposed in Myanmar, and the arbitrary detention of democratically elected politicians and civil society by the military. It is essential that Aung San Suu Kyi, and all those arbitrarily detained, are released. Under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime and the Myanmar Sanctions Regime the UK had already sanctioned 16 individuals, responsible for human rights violations in Myanmar. In July 2020, we sanctioned the Commander-in-Chief and his Deputy, in our first tranche of sanctions under the Global Human Rights Sanctions regime. We are working closely with international partners to consider next steps with the aim of ensuring that democratic wishes of Myanmar's people are respected and politicians and civil society leaders are released.

Anne Sacoolas

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to take diplomatic steps to secure the lawful arrest of Anne Sacoolas in the US or any other country she may visit; and if he will make a statement.

Nigel Adams: This is a tragic case. The Government has been doing everything it can to support the family and get justice for Harry. We are disappointed with the US' refusal to extradite Ms Sacoolas, which we feel amounts to a denial of justice.  We have already raised the case with the Biden Administration.

Myanmar: Military Coups

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to impose further sanctions against the Burmese military following the military coup in Myanmar.

Nigel Adams: The UK condemns the state of emergency imposed in Myanmar, and the arbitrary detention of democratically elected politicians and civil society by the military. It is essential that Aung San Suu Kyi, and all those arbitrarily detained, are released. Under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime and the Myanmar Sanctions Regime the UK had already sanctioned 16 individuals, responsible for human rights violations in Myanmar. In July 2020, we sanctioned the Commander-in-Chief and his Deputy, in our first tranche of sanctions under the Global Human Rights Sanctions regime. We are working closely with international partners to consider next steps with the aim of ensuring that democratic wishes of Myanmar's people are respected and politicians and civil society leaders are released.

Sexual Offences: Armed Conflict

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many staff, and at what grades, the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative team has had in each year since 2012.

Nigel Adams: This information is not held centrally.

Kashmir: Human Rights

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussion he has had with human rights organisations on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Nigel Adams: The UK continues to follow the situation in Kashmir closely. Officials at the British High Commission in New Delhi engage regularly with human rights organisations on the situation. We continue to be in regular contact with the governments of India and Pakistan, both through our diplomatic networks in New Delhi and Islamabad, and in London. Any allegation of human rights violations or abuse is deeply concerning and must be investigated thoroughly, promptly, and transparently.

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative UK team of experts has been deployed in each year since 2012.

Nigel Adams: Since 2012, the Team of Experts have been deployed 94 times to build capacity of governments, the UN, and non-governmental organisations. Deployments have included Mali, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Uganda. The number of deployments per year were as follows: two deployments in 2012; 20 deployments in 2013, including to Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina; 27 deployments in 2014, including to Turkey, Mali, and Kenya; 16 deployments in 2015; six deployments in 2016; six deployments in 2017, 11 deployments in 2018 including to Dhaka, Mali and Zimbabwe; six deployments in 2019; and one deployment in 2020.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Apprentices

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.

Nigel Adams: As of 31 December 2020, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) employed 122 apprentices, of whom 49 work for our Trading Fund, FCDO Services. This is 1.4% of the total of FCDO and FCDO Services UK Based (or "UK-registered") staff worldwide, and 1.9% of our staff working in the UK. We expect a further 2 FCDO staff to enrol on an apprenticeship by 31 March 2021.

Palestinians: Coronavirus

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the vaccination roll-out programme in Palestine.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department will take to ensure that the citizens of Palestine receive the covid-19 vaccine.

James Cleverly: The UK remains committed to ensuring equitable access to effective vaccines as demonstrated by our £548 million contribution to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) - the international initiative to support global equitable access to vaccines. Through match funding, the commitment was leveraged to encourage other donors to commit $1 billion in 2020. We are pleased to note that the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) will be among the first to benefit from the COVAX scheme with delivery of a first batch anticipated in mid-February.We remain in regular, close contact with the Palestinian Authority to discuss their plans for access to safe COVID-19 vaccines in the OPTs, including rollout of the doses provided through the COVAX scheme.

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the budget has been of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict team in each year since 2012.

Nigel Adams: Since 2012, the FCO has allocated over £55 million to Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI)-related activities. This includes funding to support survivors, contributions to international and civil society organisations, and deployments of the UK PSVI Team of Experts. On average, the UK has committed over £6 million per year to the PSVI since its launch. In 2014-15, £20 million was allocated, including £5.2 million to develop and deliver the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in 2014. 12/1313/1414/1515/1616/1717/1818/1919/2020/21Total£1.3m£5m£20m£8.5m£7.6m£2.7m£3.19m£4.14m£2.6m

Chen Quanguo

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of imposing (a) a UK travel ban and (b) an asset freeze on Chen Quanguo, senior official in the Chinese Communist Party, under the terms of the UK's Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations.

Nigel Adams: The Government remains gravely concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang. On 12 January the Foreign Secretary announced robust, targeted measures to help ensure that British organisations, whether public or private sector, are not complicit in, nor profiting from, the human rights violations in Xinjiang. We also continue to play a leading role in holding China to account for its human rights violations in the region, working closely with international partners, including at the UN.The FCDO are carefully considering further designations under the Global Human Rights sanctions regime, introduced in July 2020. We will keep all evidence and potential listings under close review. It is not appropriate to speculate on who may be designated in the future, as to do so could reduce their impact.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of (a) torture allegations which include beatings, electric shocks, and sexual abuse against political prisoners at the Royal Academy of Policing in Bahrain and (b) reports that local oversight bodies have failed to credibly investigate those allegations.

James Cleverly: The British Government's policy is clear - we condemn the use of torture or mistreatment in all circumstances. We take allegations or concerns of torture and mistreatment very seriously. We urge that all allegations of this nature are reported to the appropriate national oversight body and continue to encourage these bodies to carry out swift, transparent and thorough investigations into any such claims.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the new US Administration on the cessation of arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

James Cleverly: Ministers have not yet discussed with the Biden Administration the reported US suspension of arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The UK takes its export control responsibilities extremely seriously and we assess all export licenses in accordance with strict licensing criteria.

Genocide

Ms Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 20 January 2021, Official Report, column 959, that that the attribution of genocide is a judicial matter, whether it is his policy that the recognition of genocide is a matter for the courts.

Nigel Adams: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the letter of the hon. Member for Argyll and Bute of 21 December 2020, what the most recent date was upon which the Government made representations to the Government of Bahrain on the cases of medical negligence against the Bahraini political prisoners Hasan Mushaima, Dr Abduljalil AlSingace and Sheikh AlMuqdad.

James Cleverly: We continue to monitor and raise the cases of Hassan Mushaima, Dr Abduljalil Al Singace and Sheikh Abduljalil Al Muqdad.The Government of Bahrain has been clear in public statements that access to medical care for those in detention is guaranteed by the Constitution of Bahrain. We welcome those assurances.Those with concerns regarding the treatment of a prisoner should contact the relevant authorities as well as the appropriate national oversight body.

Iran: Nuclear Fuels

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2021 to Question 140775 on Iran: Nuclear Fuels, what the timetable is for action to tackle Iran’s non-compliance with the JCPoA.

James Cleverly: We have made our position clear to Iran in recent E3 statements, at the Joint Commission and at the JCPoA ministerial meeting on 21 December, that implementation of the new nuclear law is jeopardising our efforts to preserve the JCPoA and risks compromising the important opportunity for a return to diplomacy with the new US Administration. We remain in close contact with the other remaining JCPoA participants to assess how to best address Iran's non-compliance within the framework of the JCPoA.

Oman: Customs

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much was spent through the Integrated Activity Fund on the customs project provided to the Royal Oman Police Customs in collaboration with the British Embassy Muscat in October 2019; and whether an Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessment was conducted prior to the delivery of that project.

James Cleverly: We do not disclose information related to individual IAF projects to maintain the confidence and confidentiality of our Gulf partners.

Palestinians: Remote Education

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2021 to Question 140776,  how many Palestinian children received copies of UNRWA’s self-learning material; and what steps UNRWA is taking to retrieve that material and counter harmful educational messages.

James Cleverly: We contacted UNRWA directly regarding this issue. UNRWA informed us that they had identified the material in question through its own regular monitoring and took swift action to correct the issue. The Agency also conducted a review to address any education materials in breach of its policies. UNRWA has reported that these materials are no longer circulated and are not used in current lessons. The issue was rectified by November 2020.We continue to monitor the situation to ensure self-learning materials remain in line with UN values.

Developing Countries: Female Genital Mutilation

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to enable the UK to use its presidencies of the G7 and COP26 to ensure that it and other nations (a) build on initial progress on eradicating female genital mutilation and (b) make a renewed commitment to SDG 4.

Wendy Morton: The UK Government has led international efforts to end female genital mutilation (FGM). Since 2013, UK aid has helped over 10,000 communities (representing over 27 million people) pledge to abandon FGM. Over 4 million girls and women have received health, social and legal services related to FGM. The UK will use its G7 Presidency to spearhead international action on Gender Equality - focusing on educating girls, empowering women, and ending violence against women and girls. As part of advancing SDG 4, we will seek to build support for ambitious new targets of getting 40 million more girls into education by 2025 and achieving a one-third improvement in girls' reading by age 10. We will also work towards a successful replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education. We are committed to delivering an inclusive COP26, including by addressing the needs and priorities of women and girls and advancing gender equality within climate action and finance. Quality education, especially for girls, is central to tackling climate change effectively.

Uganda: Politics and Government

Ed Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Uganda.

Ed Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assistance the UK is providing in Uganda to support the development of transparent and peaceful democratic processes.

James Duddridge: GROUPED WITH PQ 146764.The UK Government has significant concerns about the treatment of opposition candidates in the run-up to and since the Ugandan elections, as well as the internet shutdown immediately before and during the elections. This does not provide for an open political landscape, within which democracy can flourish. I [Minister Duddridge] set out our concerns in a statement on 17 January about the political climate surrounding the elections and have urged the Government of Uganda to meet its international human rights commitments. Our High Commissioner has met with both President Museveni and leader of the opposition, Robert Kyagulanyi (also known as Bobi Wine), to convey our concerns and discuss democratic process.The UK Government supports programmes for civil society groups and organisations in Uganda that promote democracy and transparent elections. We have spent more than £30 million since 2014 helping to strengthen institutions in Uganda to uphold democratic freedoms and advocate for the equal treatment of all Ugandans according to the terms of the Ugandan constitution and laws. As a long-standing partner to Uganda, the UK will continue to follow post-election developments closely, and engage with the Ugandan Government and Ugandans to advocate for democracy.

Overseas Aid: LGBT People

Alicia Kearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in which countries his Department is (a) funding programmes or (b) supporting bilateral or multilateral efforts to protect the freedoms and international human rights of LGBTQ+ people.

Wendy Morton: The UK plays an active role across the world in support of LGBT rights. We work through our embassies and high commissions and through international organisations, including the UN, Council of Europe, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Commonwealth, to promote non-discrimination towards LGBT people, and to address discriminatory laws. In our role as co-chair of the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) with Argentina, we are ambitious about what we can achieve through delivery of the ERC's first UK led strategy that seeks to shape, guide and re-energise the ERC's work to advance LGBT equality.Due to its highly sensitive and sometimes dangerous nature, it would not be appropriate to specify the countries our LGBT programmes operate in, but we have consistently committed funding to LGBT rights programme work. In addition to funding through our UK Aid Connect Programme and International Programme Fund, in October, we announced £3.2m of new funding to continue the work we announced during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2018 that works with civil society to support countries seeking legislative reform. We also prioritised £800,000 of funding for The Commonwealth Equality Network (TCEN) to support civil society work to advance LGBT equality.

Schengen Agreement: Borders

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2021 to Question 138871, if the UK Government will raise the matter of UK nationals with residence rights in the EU protected by the Withdrawal Agreement being refused entry at the Schengen border since 1 January 2021 at the next meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens' Rights; and when that meeting is scheduled to take place.

Wendy Morton: The Government is committed to upholding the rights of UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK, as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement. The Government is monitoring the situation at the Schengen border closely and is in regular contact with the EU and Member States to ensure the correct rules are applied. The Government will continue to hold the EU to account for the correct implementation and application of the Citizens' Rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement. This includes through the Specialised Committee on Citizens' Rights.The UK and the EU have agreed that the Committee will meet regularly throughout 2021 and the next meeting has been scheduled to take place in February.

Schengen Agreement: Borders

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs,  pursuant to his Answer of 26 January 2021 to Question 138871, which of the UK’s European network of Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates have received contact from UK nationals regarding disruption at the Schengen border since 1 January 2021.

Wendy Morton: As the Government has stated, fewer than 200 UK nationals have contacted our European network of Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates regarding disruption at the Schengen border since 1 January 2021. Enquiries have been received regarding Spain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, Latvia, Finland, Denmark, Bulgaria, Italy and Malta. The Government has worked to resolve this disruption by raising concerns with the European Commission, as well as engaging bilaterally with Member States and carriers. The steps taken by the Government have resulted in a reduction in enquiries. We are continuing to monitor the situation, to ensure that UK nationals' rights are upheld across the EU.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Peace Negotiations

Alicia Kearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to take forward the peace process in Bosnia and Herzegovina following reports that a new High Representative will be installed in the next six months.

Wendy Morton: The United Kingdom is an active partner to Bosnia and Herzegovina, supporting its transition to a peaceful, functional and multi-ethnic state, and its Euro-Atlantic future. We are using our political influence and programme assistance to help bring about reforms in the rule of law and justice, defence and security, democracy, human rights and the economy. We work together on tackling COVID-19 and building back stronger. Our COP26 Presidency positions us to advocate for real action on climate change. We champion reconciliation and a focus on a shared future which encourages the disillusioned to stay; and we call out the ethnic division which looks backwards. In this we engage with the authorities at all levels, but also civil society organisations, youth and women, the media, business and academia. Working with international partners is key to achieving progress. This includes the Office of the High Representative, which continues to have the United Kingdom's full support.

Developing Countries: Remote Education

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to Answer of 14 January 2021 to Question 134525 on Developing Countries: Schools, which 18 countries his Department has adapted bilateral education programmes in.

Wendy Morton: The FCDO has bilateral education programmes in 18 countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan, Lebanon, Malawi, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.These programmes have adapted and responded to the COVID-19 context in each country. This has included a strong focus on safety such as WASH in schools, child protection including safeguarding messaging and training for teachers, and learning such as developing and distributing learning materials, back to school campaigns and catch up classes, as well as systems strengthening and support to governments.

Home Office

Members: Correspondence

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Rochdale of 11 November 2020, on the deportations of members of the Rochdale Grooming Gang.

Chris Philp: I apologise for the delay. The Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts will respond shortly.

Question

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to limit the use of child sources in criminal investigations.

Kit Malthouse: Young people under 18 years of age are only deployed as Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS) in extremely rare and exceptional circumstances and are authorised in very small numbers.For example, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO) confirmed that between January 2015 and December 2018, there were only 17 instances where law enforcement bodies deployed under 18s as CHIS.In his response on this issue to the Joint Committee on Human Rights, the then Investigatory Powers Commissioner noted that in the “vast majority of cases” deployment of young people as CHIS is only considered “when the juvenile is already engaged in the relevant criminality or is a member of a criminal gang, and that they are not asked to participate in activity that they were not already undertaking.”While investigators may wish to avoid the use of young people as CHIS, we must recognise that some young people are involved in serious crimes, as perpetrators and victims. Consequently, young people may have unique access to information that is important in preventing and prosecuting gang violence and terrorism. This includes the troubling ‘county lines’ phenomenon which, along with the associated violence, drug dealing and exploitation, has a devastating impact on young people, vulnerable adults and local communities.Those operating these powers have a duty to ensure they promote the best interests of the young person as a primary consideration. Extensive guidance and enhanced safeguards exist to ensure that the powers are used appropriately, and that young people are suitably safeguarded.

Napier Barracks: Fires

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the recent fire at Napier Barracks.

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what damage was caused by the fire at Napier barracks; and how that fire has affected its ability to be used as asylum accommodation.

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any (a) asylum seekers and (b) staff sustained injuries as a result of the fire at Napier Barracks.

Chris Philp: A number of asylum seekers at Napier Barracks previously tested positive for coronavirus. In line with advice from Public Health England, over the last week the Home Office moved a number of asylum seekers from the site.The purpose of this was to allow others at Napier to self-isolate more easily and conduct a site-wide deep cleaning exercise.On Friday, 29 January, a number of asylum seekers who remained at Napier objected to not being moved off site. They became aggressive toward staff on site, turned violent and set about destroying the barracks, putting lives in danger.An accommodation block was set on fire resulting in a kitchen and canteen being badly damaged. The fire-damaged block has been secured and cordoned off and other blocks remain in use. Meals continue to be provided to those accommodated at the site.Kent Police and Fire & Rescue Service attended the site to maintain order and extinguish the fire. The situation is now under control: a number of arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing. We are aware of one person with minor injuries, from which they are expected to make a full recovery.We are clear that this type of action will not be tolerated, and the Home Office will support the police to take robust action against those vandalising property, threatening staff and putting lives at risk.

Asylum: Napier Barracks

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department was aware of the presence of asbestos at Napier barracks in Kent when it authorised the site to house people seeking asylum in the UK.

Chris Philp: We expect the highest standards from our providers and we provide asylum seekers with safe, warm, suitable accommodation that is fit for purpose and correctly equipped in line with existing asylum accommodation standards and contractual requirements.Risk assessments for the site included consideration of asbestos, given as with many older properties the possibility that asbestos may be present. The risk assessment concluded there was minimal risk through use of the buildings.In tackling the fire on 29 January, Kent Fire and Rescue Services confirmed that the risk from asbestos remained minimal, and firefighters followed full asbestos procedures and protocols in the course of their duties.

Asylum: Military Bases

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2021 to Question 143018, what steps the Government is taking to improve living conditions at the (a) Napier and (b) Penally barracks temporary asylum seeker accommodation sites.

Chris Philp: We expect the highest standards from our providers, and we provide asylum seekers with safe, warm, suitable accommodation that is fit for purpose and correctly equipped in line with existing asylum accommodation standards and contractual requirements.Accommodation provider Clearsprings Ready Homes have acted upon feedback and worked with voluntary organisations to provide activities and entertainment at both sites, to the extent Covid restrictions allow, and local faith leaders to provide further support and provision to meet religious needs.We continue to work closely with our provider and partners to identify opportunities for improvement, as we do across our entire accommodation estate.

Asylum: Housing

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the ban on evictions applies to people who receive leave to remain and are asked to leave NASS accommodation.

Chris Philp: Throughout the pandemic we have taken decisive action to ensure those seeking asylum in the UK have the support they need.This has included providing accommodation for everyone who required it and pausing the cessation of support so that appropriate public health guidance could be followed. It was made clear from the outset that this was a temporary measure which would be brought to an end as soon as it was safe to do so.The cessation of asylum support and transition to mainstream provision for those granted refugee status is taking a careful, phased approach in conjunction with relevant partners including the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and local authorities. We have shared our approach with public health authorities and will continue to work within heath guidelines and legal advice.Those who have been granted asylum receive a cessation notice affording a 28-day grace period and Move-on support is provided throughout by the Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility (AIRE) service, operated by Migrant Help.

Veterans: Deportation

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) armed forces veterans and (b) their dependents have been deported in each of the last 10 years.

Chris Philp: The information is not available to the level of detail requested as armed forces veterans are not exempt from any deportation provisions.The Home Office publishes data on Returns in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of Returns from the UK by return type (including enforced returns) are published in table Ret_01 of the Returns ‘summary tables’.Our priority will always be to keep the British public safe and the Government is clear that foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crimes, whether or not they are armed forces veterans, should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them.

Veterans: Hong Kong

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2020 to Question 53989 on Hong Kong former naval and military personnel and other former servants of the Crown, that the situation was being kept under review, what conclusions have been drawn about the eligibility of the estimated 250-300 veterans and their families, who were not previously selected for resettlement, to (a) apply for British passports and (b) relocate to the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Kevin Foster: Under the British Nationality Selection Scheme, introduced in 1990 and run until 1 July 1997, a limited number of Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were settled in Hong Kong could apply to register as British citizens.We are giving careful consideration to representations made on behalf of those former Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who did not obtain citizenship through the selection scheme.Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who hold British National (Overseas) citizenship or are a relevant family member of someone who holds this status, may be eligible for the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa which was launched on 31 January 2021.

Visas: British National (Overseas)

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what preparations she has made for the introduction of the new British National (Overseas) visa; and what plans are in place to ensure the successful integration into the UK of Hongkongers.

Kevin Foster: On 31 January 2021 the UK Government introduced a new immigration route for British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status holders in Hong Kong, providing the opportunity for them and their eligible family members to live, work and study in the UK.We recognise the integration of BN(O) status holders and their family members is crucial to help arrivals to thrive in their new lives in the UK. We want BN(O) status holders and their families to feel welcome and safe in the UK; have the support to learn English and/or Welsh; to be economically active; and have access to education as appropriate.Work is taking place across the UK Government alongside civil society groups and others to support the effective integration of BN(O) status holders arriving in the UK in the coming months.Further information on specific provisions across the four nations of the UK will be set out in due course.

Home Office: Staff

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officials in their Department were dedicated to their Department's responsibilities associated with the delivery of the Industrial Strategy in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019, (d) 2020 and (e) 2021.

Kit Malthouse: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) own the Government’s Industrial Strategy.As the Home Office contributes to delivery of the aims of the Industrial Strategy through existing workstreams rather than dedicated resource, it is not possible to provide the information requested.

Public Transport: Protective Clothing

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish the figures for people prosecuted for not wearing a mask on public transport.

Kit Malthouse: The Crown Prosecution Service publishes data on the number of coronavirus related prosecutions, however, this is not broken down by the type of offence or type of Fixed Penalty Notice. Further information can be found here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/6500-coronavirus-related-prosecutions-first-six-months-pandemic

Home Office: Apprentices

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by her Department are apprentices.

Kit Malthouse: The number of staff currently employed by the Home Office who have started an apprenticeship is 735, which is 2.29% of the department headcount calculated on 31/12/20 (this does not include individuals in the pipeline preparing to start and/or undergoing security checks).

Action Fraud

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases are awaiting investigation by Action Fraud.

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the backlog of cases being investigated by Action Fraud.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office does not hold information requested in question 146731 on the proportion of cases awaiting investigation. Reports submitted to Action Fraud are evaluated by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) and allocated to local forces. As neither Action Fraud or NFIB possess investigatory powers, the decision on whether to investigate a crime rests solely with local force.However, data on the number of fraud cases disseminated by the NFIB to police forces are published annually as part of the Home Office’s ‘Crime Outcomes in England and Wales’ publication. The latest data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingjune2020.

Road Traffic Offences

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drivers were summonsed for driving (a) without insurance and (b) without a valid MOT using evidence from ANPR technology in England and Wales in the latest 12 month period for which figures are available.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of vehicle insurance offences and vehicle test offences that resulted in court action.The latest published data can be found in the accompanying table FPN_03 of ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-walesInformation on whether or not evidence from ANPR technology was used to detect these offences is not collected by the Home Office.

Home Office: Marketing

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on (a) communications, (b) advertising and (c) marketing in (i) the UK, (ii) England, (iii) Northern Ireland, (iv) Scotland and (v) Wales in each month from August 2020 to December 2020.

Kit Malthouse: I refer to the answer UIN 118130 on 2nd December 2020:Data on expenditure categories are published within the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts (ARA). However, this data is only published once the accounts are closed and the figures have been audited by the National Audit Office (NAO).The NAO’s role is to inspect and agree with the accounts and this data may be subject to change, therefore due to the risks of releasing current year data that is yet to go through the typical due diligence conducted by the NAO may result in us misleading Parliament.Information on the above expenditure categories for the current financial year will be collated and made available in the 2020/21 Home office Statement of Accounts.The financial year runs from 01st April to 31st March in the preceding year. We only release full year figures and do not release data on partial months.Subsequently, you may also find it useful to refer to the ARA for FY1920 to obtain the data for the total spent on the aforementioned categories.However, please note that the data we collect and report in the ARA is not captured under the specific headings set out in the question above.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/902593/HO_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2019-20_FINAL.pdf

Dangerous Dogs: Police Custody

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that dogs taken into custody under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 are not abused, harmed or mistreated while being apprehended.

Kit Malthouse: Dogs seized by police in England under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 are held in confidence in kennels licensed under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. Such kennels must meet statutory minimum animal welfare conditions. The 2018 Regulations are enforced by local authorities.

Asylum: Penally Camp

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to Dyfed Powys Police has been of policing in connection with the asylum seeker accommodation in Penally for the financial year 2020-2021, over and above any additional funding allocated by her Department for that purpose.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the projected cost to Dyfed Powys Police is of policing in connection with the asylum seeker accommodation in Penally for the financial year 2021-22, over and above any additional funding allocated by her Department for that purpose.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to provide additional funding to Dyfed Powys Police to ensure that the cost of policing in relation to the asylum seeker accommodation in Penally is not taken from its existing budget.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office has agreed to provide £2.5m of Special Grant funding to Dyfed-Powys Police in respect of these costs up to September 2021.

Shoplifting

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Police and Crime Commissioners since her letter to PCCs and Chief Constables setting out that the theft of goods valued up to £200 from a shop should be prosecuted as a criminal offence.

Kit Malthouse: I wrote to all chief constables and Police and Crime Commissioners in September 2020, stating that section 176 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 does not constrain the ability of the police to arrest or prosecute someone for shop theft in the way they feel is most appropriate, and urging them to consider the impact on local shops when dealing with this crime type. It is for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to decide on individual cases.

Gosport War Memorial Hospital

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on Operation Magenta.

Kit Malthouse: Police forces are independent of government and investigations are operational matters for the force concerned. Enquiries concerning the progress of Operation Magenta, the independent police investigation into deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital, Hampshire, between 1987 and 2001, should be addressed to op.magenta.enquiries@kent.essex.pnn.police.uk .

Police: West Yorkshire

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to encourage more people to join the police force in West Yorkshire.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is committed to increasing the number of police officers by 20,000 by March 2023. Today we announced that as at 31 December 2020, 6,620 additional officers had been recruited in England and Wales showing that we are on track to deliver this commitment.We have made £700m additional funding available for PCCs in 2020-21, and in the next financial year, 2021-22, we are giving PCCs an additional £415m to support the recruitment of a further 6,000 additional police officers by March 2022.West Yorkshire Police has been allocated 256 additional officers in the first year of the Police Uplift Programme, supported by £484.5M for the force. At 31 December 2020 the force has recruited an additional 390 uplift officers against its baseline and has therefore already exceeded its year one allocation. For year two of the uplift, the force has been allocated 239 additional officers and additional funding of £511.9M – an increase of £27.3M on last year.The national uplift programme is also supporting all forces with a variety of attraction and recruitment strategies, whilst delivering a campaign that’s been designed to reach diverse audiences.

Shoplifting

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made on assessing the effectiveness of section 176 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing 2014 Act.

Kit Malthouse: Review of the effectiveness of Section 176 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing 2014 Act would form part of wider post-legislative review of the Act. No date has been set for this.

Scotland Office

Food Standards Scotland: Staff

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what staffing resource has been provided by the UK Government to Food Standards Scotland since the end of the transition period.

Mr Alister Jack: The UK Government, through the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), have provided two locum vets to Food Standards Scotland (FSS) from 1 February 2021 as requested by FSS. The UK Government has provided all the resource which FSS have requested and will continue to work closely with FSS should any more requests be made.

Union Connectivity Review

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking to increase local engagement with the Union Connectivity Review.

Mr Alister Jack: Reviewing connections between the nations will be critical as we look to recover the economy from the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, I welcomed the announcement from the Prime Minister of the Union Connectivity Review, which is being led by Sir Peter Hendy, Chairman of Network Rail, and I look forward to seeing the interim report that is due to be published later this month. The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland has worked closely with the Department for Transport on the Union Connectivity Review and has engaged with a number of stakeholders covering a range of industries across the United Kingdom on this. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland, Minister Stewart, also wrote to all Local Authorities in Scotland, recommending they submit their suggestions for the review into the Call for Evidence that was held in December.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether the result of a legally held referendum on Scottish independence from the Union is legally binding on the Government.

Mr Alister Jack: The referendum on Scottish independence in 2014 was legal, fair and decisive and people in Scotland voted by a significant margin to remain part of the UK. The Edinburgh Agreement committed both the UK and Scottish Governments to respect the referendum’s outcome. The UK Government continues to do that and the Prime Minister wrote to the First Minister of Scotland in January 2020 to confirm he cannot agree to any request for a transfer of power from the UK Parliament to the Scottish Parliament that would lead to further independence referendums. The UK Government’s full focus is on keeping people safe and driving our economic recovery from Covid-19.

Scotland Office: Apprentices

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.

Mr Alister Jack: The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland remains committed to apprenticeships as part of a modern employment route into the Civil Service and across the wider economy.The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland does not employ staff directly; all staff that join - including apprentices - do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other Government bodies.The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland, has previously, and continues to recruit Modern Apprentices through Scottish Government and the Ministry of Justice. However, due to the number involved, an estimate of apprentices working at the Department cannot be provided to protect the privacy and identity of those concerned.

Scotland Office: Marketing

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spends per month on (a) staffing and (b) staffing primarily related to communications, advertising and marketing.

Mr Alister Jack: In the last financial year, 2019-20, the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (OSSS) and Office of the Advocate General (OAG) Annual Report and Accounts reported total spend of £9,427,000 in staff costs, including wages, social security, pensions, and VAT charged on staffing costs where applicable. This equates to a monthly average expenditure on staffing of £785,583. In the same financial year, £1,071,553 was spent on staffing costs for staff primarily responsible for media, digital, and stakeholder communications and public information campaigns for OSSS and OAG. This equates to a monthly average expenditure of £89,296.

Scotland Office: Marketing

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2021 to Question 141530, if he will publish copies of all the marketing and advertising materials published by his Department costed in his response.

Mr Alister Jack: The requested public information campaign materials promoted by the Department are freely and publically available for anyone to view online at the Facebook Ads Library: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?active_status=all&ad_type=political_and_issue_ads&country=GB&view_all_page_id=159100234275780&sort_data[direction]=desc&sort_data[mode]=relevancy_monthly_grouped

Surveys: Scotland

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many contracts for polling public attitudes his Department has commissioned in Scotland in each of the last three years; and how many of those polls included questions on the (i) constitutional settlement of Scotland and (ii) Scottish independence.

Mr Alister Jack: The Office has not commissioned any contracts for polling public attitudes in Scotland in the last three years.

Attorney General

Crown Prosecution Service: Recruitment

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the CPS annual report 2019-20, how many (a) additional prosecutors have been recruited, (b) operational delivery staff have been recruited and (c) offers of employment have been made to new lawyers since 2019.

Michael Ellis: As of 2nd February 2021, the CPS has recruited:399 additional prosecutors, with a further 75 due to start by April 2021;155 Paralegal Officers and Assistants (Operational Delivery Staff);and made 570 offers of employment to new lawyers since 2019. (Source data – CPS HR Recruitment records)

Attorney General: Apprentices

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Attorney General, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by her Department are apprentices.

Michael Ellis: The Attorney General’s Office currently have no apprentices. As staffing levels are below 250 the Department does not meet the criteria for the 2.3% target. However, plans are nevertheless in place to recruit 2 or 3 apprentices.

Courts: Coronavirus

Rachel Hopkins: What steps she is taking with the Lord Chancellor to tackle the court backlog.

Suella Braverman: I have seen first-hand how innovatively and resiliently criminal justice agencies have responded to the pandemic to boost court capacity – in June 2020, I observed virtual hearings conducted via the Cloud Video Platform in Bristol Magistrates’ Court.I have also met with various CPS Areas to discuss their approach, and know that the CPS is committed to working closely with the courts service and judiciary on court recovery work. This is an unprecedented challenge, but I have been impressed with the truly collaborative approach criminal justice partners have taken.

Rule of Law

Allan Dorans: What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the importance of upholding the rule of law.

Suella Braverman: The rule of law is at the heart of the UK constitution. The duty of the Law Officers is to ensure that the Government acts lawfully at all times. I take that responsibility seriously including in my role as legal adviser to the Government and when attending Cabinet, and that will not change.I would like to take this opportunity to thank Government Legal Department lawyers for their heroic work in contributing to the Rule of Law during the pandemic, as the Government continues to be successful in Covid-related challenges.

Sexual Offences: Prosecutions

Kerry McCarthy: What steps she has taken to increase the number of prosecutions relating to rape and sexual assault.

Suella Braverman: I am committed to ensuring rape and sexual assault cases are conducted effectively – in fact, I recently successfully referred a point of law to the Court of Appeal to ensure that the law is clear in cases of sexual assault.I have also engaged closely on CPS rape work, including meeting with CPS South East in December 2020 to discuss how their RASSO unit approaches these complex cases. The CPS and police also published their Joint National Action Plan on rape in January 2021 which shows their commitment to improvement.

Cabinet Office

Migrant Workers: EU Nationals

Joanna Cherry: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effect on workforce numbers in key occupations of the UK EU Trade and cooperation agreement.

Penny Mordaunt: The Trade and Cooperation Agreement delivers what the British public voted for in the referendum and at the last General Election. It is the first free trade agreement the EU has ever reached based on zero tariffs and zero quotas.This Agreement will help unlock investment and protect high value jobs right across the UK. We will now take full advantage of the opportunities created by this deal – helping to boost productivity, unlock investment and safeguard high value jobs in the UK.We have taken back control of our borders meaning we control who comes into the country, as demonstrated by our new Points Based System which has now gone live. This fairer, firmer and skills-led system will enable companies to attract the best and brightest from around the world.

UK Trade with EU: New Businesses

Ruth Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of UK businesses opening new firms in the EU single market on levels of employment in the UK.

Penny Mordaunt: I refer the Hon Member to the response I gave to PQ132802 on 30 December 2020.

Arts: UK Relations with EU

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions the Cabinet Office has had with organisations representing the creative industries since the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement was agreed.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport leads on the relationship with the UK's creative industries. Where appropriate, officials from Cabinet Office and other departments, participate in discussions. Details of ministerial meetings are published on gov.uk.

UK-EU Partnership Council

Hilary Benn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, who will represent the UK as Co-Chair  on the UK-EU Partnership Council.

Penny Mordaunt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ138410 on 20 January 2021.

Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many submissions his Department received in response to its August 2020 Integrated Review call for evidence.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to publish the findings of his Department's August 2020 Integrated Review call for evidence.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government launched a call for evidence to support the Integrated Review on 13 August 2020, which ran for four weeks. Over 450 submissions were received in response.The Government intends to publish submissions to the Integrated Review call for evidence on the government website GOV.UK. Publication is expected in spring this year alongside publication of the Integrated Review.

UK Trade with EU: Freight

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of when the volume of GB-EU freight crossings may return to the level at 1 November 2020.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what additional support his Department plans to provide to tackle the problems experienced by hauliers at UK borders since 1 January 2021.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government is monitoring freight flow across UK ports through the Border Operations Centre in the Cabinet Office. November 2020 is not a baseline for 'normal' flow levels but freight levels have been increasing over recent weeks.The Government has announced a wide range of support for businesses, traders and hauliers - full details are available on gov.uk. Future announcements will be made in the usual way.

Shipping: Quarantine

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential exemption of maritime key workers from covid-19 quarantine restrictions, in line with previous exemptions granted.

Penny Mordaunt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ132929.

UK Trade with EU: Customs

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the preparedness of the UK's new Border Control Posts and related infrastructure for the new customs procedures coming into force on 1 July 2021.

Julia Lopez: The UK announced that it would introduce new border controls on imports coming into Great Britain from the EU in three stages up until 1 July 2021, as set out by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancester by Written Ministerial Statement on 15 June 2020. Government is supporting the infrastructure needed for these changes through £470m of investment, including £200 million for the Port Infrastructure Fund (PIF) and a further £270m allocated to the provision of inland facilities. We are keeping progress on infrastructure and wider preparedness continually under review.

Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the correspondence from the Minister for the Constitution to the Executive Secretary of the​ Group of States Against Corruption (​GRECO) on 24 July 2020, what progress he has made on the post-legislative review of Part 1 of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014; which organisations have been contacted as part of that review; and what the timeline is for implementing recommendations that come out of that review.

Julia Lopez: As set out in the Minister for the Constitution and Devolution’s letter of 24 July 2020 to GRECO, the Government has now commenced post-legislative scrutiny of Part 1 of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014.In January, I hosted two discussions with stakeholders to gather views, including with industry and civil society representatives. These stakeholders were also invited to feed in the views of their wider networks. The Government is currently considering the views gathered and will set out its position in due course.

Leader of the House of Commons: Apprentices

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by No 10 Downing Street are apprentices.

Julia Lopez: As has been the case under successive administrations, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Government in Parliament are an integral part of the Cabinet Office.As of 31 January 2021, apprentices make up 2.13% of the department’s workforce.

Voting Methods: Visual Impairment

Marion Fellows: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the timescale is for the full roll-out of new provisions to enable all blind and partially sighted people to vote independently and in private.

Marion Fellows: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to consult an adequate number of blind and partially sighted people in the evaluation of audio voting devices.

Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ143043 on 28 January.

Government Departments: Procurement

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total sum is that (a) the Government has assessed for claw back following unsatisfactory delivery of covid-19 related contracts, (b) has been instigated and (c) returned to date.

Julia Lopez: This information is not held centrally.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Apprentices

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by her Department are apprentices.

Greg Hands: As of 31 March 2020, the Civil Service has achieved a total of 2.1% of its total workforce as apprentices against the legislative target for the public sector of 2.3% by March 2021.As of 31st December 2020, there were 115 apprentices employed by the Department for International Trade (DIT) and UK Export Finance (UKEF). It equates to 3.2% of the total domestic staff employed by DIT and UKEF.This target is a percentage of the total workforce so the percentage attained will change in line with workforce fluctuations over time, making it challenging to predict when a department will meet it. The data for 2018/19 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-apprenticeship-data-2018-to-2019. The data for 2019/20 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-apprenticeship-data-2019-to-2020.Departments are committed to increasing the number of apprentices across the Civil Service and continue to work towards the 2.3% target.

Department for International Trade: Staff

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many officials in their Department were dedicated to their Department's responsibilities associated with the delivery of the Industrial Strategy in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019, (d) 2020 and (e) 2021.

Greg Hands: The Industrial Strategy is a cross-government policy which comprises and drives a significant number of initiatives. These span a wide array of policy areas across 20 government departments and arms-length bodies. Trade is a critical element of the Industrial Strategy. Global trade has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on prosperity in the UK and around the world. International trade and investment are linked to increased jobs, productivity, growth, prosperity and development. The structure and networks the Department for International Trade (DIT) has put in place ensure the Department can deliver on the international aspects of the Industrial Strategy. Given the breadth of the delivery work, it is difficult to obtain accurate figures for resources associated with the Industrial Strategy in teams within DIT. This information is unlikely to be retrievable at this point in time and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Overseas Trade: Mexico

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions her Department had with UK asparagus producers before resizing the Tariff Rate Quota on fresh asparagus from Mexico; and if she will make a statement.

Greg Hands: The UK’s continuity mandate and negotiating strategy, and in particular the necessary resizing of all Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs), has been informed by the government’s economic analysis, alongside other evidence, strategic priorities, and consultation with businesses and other stakeholders.As the Government progresses with negotiations, it brings together the best evidence from across Whitehall, insight from external stakeholders, and a range of data and analytical tools. The Department for International Trade (DIT) maintains regular contact with businesses, including frequently meeting with business representation organisations, and trade and industry associations, across a range of sections to keep them informed on the developments in our work.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Festival UK* 2022

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the total budget is of the Festival UK 2022; and what the spend is to date.

Caroline Dinenage: The total budget for the Festival UK 2022 is £120m. The spend to the end of December 2020 is £10.2m, including £3m for the R&D phase which has helped fund 30 creative teams from across the UK. These teams are made up of some of our leading organisations and individuals from science, technology and culture, and this investment has provided paid work for over 100 freelancers.This does not include any spend by the Devolved Administrations as this budget is subject to the Barnett formula, and is therefore not within the control of DCMS.

Cinemas: Coronavirus

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to provide additional financial support to cinemas at risk of permanent closure during the national covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.

Caroline Dinenage: The government recognises the significant cultural and economic value of cinemas, and has supported them through both sector-specific and economy-wide measures.More than 200 independent cinemas have so far received funding of £16 million in the first round of the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. This funding is being administered by the BFI on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, as part of the biggest ever single investment in this country’s cultural sectors. Grants have been awarded to cinema sites in every corner of the country, with cinemas outside London benefitting from 78% of funding to date. Further to this, we announced in December that cinemas will be able to apply for a share of an additional £14 million in grants as part of the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund. This second round closed on 1 February, and will provide support for cinemas into the next financial year. Cinemas have also been eligible to apply to the second round of Arts Council England’s Repayable Finance scheme, with a total of £100 million available.Recognising that cinemas need content, during this crisis the Government’s Film and TV Production Restart Scheme has helped keep the cameras rolling at the other end of the screen supply chain. The £500 million scheme, which opened for applications in October 2020, has assured over 100 productions that they will be supported if future losses are incurred due to Covid-19 and provided the confidence they need to restart filming.In addition, most cinemas have been and are continuing to benefit from economy-wide measures including the VAT cut on tickets and concessions, a business rates holiday, access to Bounce Back Loans, the extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and Local Restrictions Support Grants.Together these measures are providing a comprehensive package of support to the cinema industry to support it through the pandemic.

Sports: Coronavirus

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which (a) sports and (b) institutions have received funding from Sport England's £220 million Covid-19 grassroots sport support fund; and how much each (i) sport and (ii) institution has received.

Nigel Huddleston: Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus.The Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support. The Treasury estimates that around £1.5 billion of public money has gone into sports.As part of this, Sport England has committed £220m of National Lottery and Exchequer funding since March 2020 to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic. Up to 27 January 2021, £162m of this funding has been distributed to a range of sports activities. This sector support was recently boosted by an extra £50million to help grassroots sports clubs and organisations as part of Sport England’s new strategy Uniting the Movement. Further details of Sport England funding including the organisations that have benefited can be found at: https://www.sportengland.org/why-were-here.The £300m Sports Winter Survival Package also aims to protect the immediate futures of major spectator sports in England over the winter period. On 22 October 2020, the Government also announced a £100m support fund for local authority leisure centres.We are continuing to work with organisations to understand what they need and how we may be able to support them. We will also continue to promote exercise throughout the pandemic and encourage the usage of sports facilities when they are able to open again.

Tourism: Suffolk

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will provide financial support to the tourism sector in Suffolk during the period of the national covid-19 lockdown that was introduced in January 2021.

Nigel Huddleston: We have introduced a number of measures since the start of the pandemic to support tourism businesses, including those in Suffolk. This includes the extended furlough and self-employed schemes and various government-backed loans, grant schemes, business rates relief and a reduced VAT rate.To help the sector through the current lockdown, we have announced one-off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property. This is in addition to the monthly Local Restrictions Support Grants (Closed). Local Authorities in England have also been given an additional £594 million discretionary funding to support their local businesses. This builds on the £1.1 billion discretionary funding which local authorities in England have already received to support their local economies and help businesses impacted.Both my Department and VisitEngland remain in regular contact with regional tourism stakeholders to assess the substantial economic effects around the country.

Gambling Commission: Surveys

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Gambling Commission (a) received any external support or advice and (b) used the same framework for assessment of affordability thresholds as set out in the consultation’s call for evidence ahead of publishing its short survey seeking views on how gambling companies interact with their customers, published on 18 January 2021.

Nigel Huddleston: The Gambling Commission’s consultation and call for evidence on Remote Customer Interaction explores new requirements for operators on identifying and intervening where customers may be at risk of experiencing gambling related harm. It covers a range of issues around identifying consumers in vulnerable situations and assessing affordability.The Commission is working to obtain a wide range of evidence and will be led by the evidence it receives in deciding how to proceed. It has extended the consultation by a month to allow for more evidence to be submitted. The Commission designed its short survey to be consistent with the main consultation and call for evidence and to give the widest range of stakeholders an opportunity to contribute.

Question

Liz Twist: What plans he has to provide additional financial support to the civil and voluntary sector during the national covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.

Matt Warman: The £750 million sector funding package offered unprecedented support to allow charities and social enterprises to continue their vital work and support our national response to the pandemic. In addition, the Government continues to make a package of support available across the economy to enable organisations to get through the months ahead. This includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which continues to be a lifeline to a multitude of organisations.

Question

David Simmonds: What steps he is taking to allocate to good causes the dormant assets identified by the Dormant Assets Scheme.

Matt Warman: The Dormant Assets Scheme enables money sitting in forgotten accounts to be unlocked for social or environmental purposes. UK-wide, the Scheme has so far released over £745m, including £150m for coronavirus recovery last year. Following the government’s consultation response, and years of close industry engagement, I’m delighted to say that the Scheme is now set to be expanded, potentially unlocking over £800m for good causes over the coming years.

Broadband: Regulation

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how each regulatory mechanism governing consumer-compensation schemes with respect to broadband service providers is monitored to ensure it is (a) accessible to and (b) practically functional for individual consumers.

Matt Warman: To help protect telecoms consumers, the Government strengthened Ofcom’s powers through the Digital Economy Act 2017. As a result, in April 2019, Ofcom introduced a voluntary automatic compensation scheme for customers of broadband and landline services for when things go wrong, such as missed engineer appointments, delayed start of a service or delayed repairs. BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Zen Internet, Utility Warehouse and Hyperoptic have all signed up to the scheme. The scheme is designed to help ensure customers receive appropriate redress when things go wrong and, over time, incentivise companies to improve their service.Since its launch, Ofcom has been monitoring the scheme through regular engagement with the signatory companies, Openreach and with telecoms alternative dispute resolution providers. Under the voluntary agreement, signatories are also required to provide information to Ofcom, such as volumes of issues and the amounts of compensation paid. Following a review of the scheme in August 2020, Ofcom concluded that the scheme was launched successfully, that it covered around 80% of the broadband market, and that it had increased compensation payments to consumers where repairs or installations had been delayed.

Broadband: Coronavirus

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure that customers who have been identified as being of vulnerable or priority status under coronavirus guidance, and therefore in need of broadband services as critical infrastructure, are able to ensure prompt repair and resumption of their broadband services where those are suspended.

Matt Warman: The Government recognises the importance of digital connectivity, particularly during this difficult period. For repairs, broadband providers are able to send new equipment to their consumers via postal delivery or using click and collect services, and telecoms engineers are able to visit residential properties to instal or fix broadband connections under the current Covid-19 guidelines.More broadly, Ofcom has rules in place, known as general conditions, which all providers must follow, that mandate communication providers to have procedures and policies in place to identify and support vulnerable consumers. Under these industry rules, providers must provide a priority fault repair service for disabled consumers of landline, broadband and mobile services.Ofcom has also recently published a vulnerability guide for providers, setting out their expectations and good practice on how vulnerable telecoms consumers should be supported. This includes steps providers can take to identify vulnerable consumers, and an expectation that all providers implement specialist teams in order to provide extra support for vulnerable consumers.

Broadband: Prices

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring broadband providers to offer affordable tariffs for people on low incomes.

Matt Warman: The government recognises the importance of digital connectivity, particularly during this difficult period. We have worked closely with industry to develop a number of voluntary commitments. Providers have committed to working with customers who are finding it difficult to pay their bill as a result of COVID-19, to ensure that customers were treated fairly and appropriately supported. This is in addition to lifting all fixed broadband data caps and providing new and generous landline and mobile offers, such as free or low cost mobile data boosts.In line with Ofcom’s recommendation in their Affordability Report published in December 2020, the government encourages those providers who do not currently offer social tariff packages to do so and we will monitor the situation closely.

Broadband: Coronavirus

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the Government has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on people’s access to broadband; and what steps the Government is taking to (a) ensure the affordability of broadband and (b) reduce the digital divide.

Matt Warman: In response to Covid-19, the Government and Ofcom agreed a set of commitments with the UK’s major broadband and mobile providers to support vulnerable consumers during the pandemic. Providers committed to working with customers who are finding it difficult to pay their bill as a result of Covid-19 to ensure that they were treated fairly and appropriately supported. They also committed to removing fixed broadband data caps, in addition to providing new and generous landline and mobile offers, such as free or low cost mobile data boosts.There are already social tariffs available which offer low cost landline and broadband services for those on certain means-tested benefits. However, in line with Ofcom’s recommendation in their Affordability Report published in December 2020, the Government is encouraging those providers who do not currently offer social tariff packages to do so.In addition, Government and Ofcom have taken action to help support switching to more affordable services.The Government has promoted the DevicesDotNow campaign, which worked with community organisations to distribute devices to vulnerable adults and help them get online. The aim was to enable elderly and vulnerable people, particularly those to who are shielding, to communicate with the outside world and get access to vital services.

Musicians: Visas

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Digital and Culture of 19 January 2021, Official report, col 774-789, on what dates the EU rejected the UK’s offer during the negotiations to include musicians on the list of independent professions for short-term business visitors.

Caroline Dinenage: During the negotiations, this Government proposed that musicians and technical staff be added to the list of permitted activities for short-term business visitors in the entry and temporary stay chapter of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. This would allow them to travel and perform in the EU more easily, without needing work-permits.As with legal text shared in confidence, publishing correspondence and details exchanged between parties related to the development of legal text for trade agreements would not be appropriate.A DCMS Working Group with key cultural sector representatives and other key government departments has been established to tackle the range of specific issues with a view to assisting the sector as far as possible to confidently work in the EU.

Musicians: Visas

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the EU’s standard definition of short-term business visitors which explicitly excludes any situation in which the visitor is selling services to the general public during their visit and receiving payment from people in the country they are visiting, what assessment the Government made during the EU-UK negotiations of the (a) viability of that category for touring musicians and (b) compatibility of that category with the requirements of music touring.

Caroline Dinenage: During the negotiations, the EU tabled a declaration accompanying their proposals on visa-free travel. The declaration identified which paid activities could be allowed as part of visa-free visits. However, these proposals would not have addressed the creative and cultural sectors’ concerns. The proposals were non-binding, did not include touring but only ‘ad hoc’ performances, did not include technical staff, and did not address work permits. The EU’s proposals were also part of a package on visa-free travel that was not consistent with the UK’s manifesto commitment to take back control of our borders.During our negotiations with the EU, the UK proposed measures, reflecting the views of the music industry itself, that would have allowed musicians to travel and perform in the UK and the EU more easily, without needing work-permits. This would have delivered an outcome that is closer to the UK’s approach to incoming musicians, artists and entertainers from non-visa national countries, such as EU Member States and the US. Regrettably, these proposals were repeatedly rejected by the EU.The Government recognises the importance of touring for UK musicians and other creative professionals. A DCMS Working Group with key cultural sector representatives and other key government departments has been established to tackle the range of specific issues with a view to assisting the sector as far as possible to confidently work in the EU.

Social Media: Disinformation

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the report entitled Industrialized Disinformation: 2020 Global Inventory of Organized Social Media Manipulation, published by the University of Oxford, what data the Government has collected on cyber troop activity in the UK.

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the Government has made of the implications for its policies of the findings of the report entitled Industrialized Disinformation: 2020 Global Inventory of Organized Social Media Manipulation, published by the University of Oxford.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government takes the issue of disinformation and misinformation very seriously. Disinformation and misinformation threaten our democratic freedoms, and can cause harm to individuals and to our society.We welcome the valuable analysis and insights from academia and other experts who have a huge amount of expertise in this space. We take their findings and recommendations very seriously and engage widely with academia and civil society to ensure we are able to benefit from this work.

Festival UK* 2022

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the estimated costs are of holding Festival UK 2022.

Caroline Dinenage: The announced budget for the Festival UK 2022 is £120 million, which includes the Barnett share to the devolved nations.

Film and Television: Coronavirus

Dean Russell: What steps his Department is taking to support UK film and TV productions during the covid-19 outbreak.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government’s Film & TV Production Restart Scheme and our industry-led guidance has enabled production to continue on film sets up and down the country - including at Warner Bros studios in Leavesden, home to the Harry Potter and Mission Impossible franchises. This week the Secretary of State spoke to the BFI’s CEO and Colin Firth about how important the Restart Scheme has been to restoring sector confidence and kickstarting new productions - ensuring the UK remains a world leader in Film and TV.

Technology: Regulation

Dan Carden: What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UK regulation on global tech companies.

Caroline Dinenage: We want to make the UK the safest place to go online and the best place in the world to set up a digital company. To achieve this aim we need a step change in our regulatory approach. From establishing the new pro-competition regime for digital markets to our world leading work on online harms this will drive competition, keep people safe and promote our democracy online.

Technology: Coronavirus

Dr Neil Hudson: What steps his Department has taken to support the (a) tech and (b) digital sectors during the covid-19 outbreak.

Caroline Dinenage: The tech and digital sector has really stepped up to the challenges posed by the pandemic, which has seen tech adoption reportedly advancing 10 years in 2 months. TO support them in this vital work, the Government Future Fund has distributed over £1bn in loans to over 1000 companies. Our local digital skills partnerships are helping to address tech companies workforce and skills needs.

Hospitality Industry and Leisure: Coronavirus

Catherine McKinnell: What steps his Department is taking to support businesses in the (a) hospitality, (b) entertainment and (c) arts and culture sectors.

Caroline Dinenage: We know that businesses in arts, culture, entertainment and hospitality have been hit hard by this pandemic. That's why we secured an unprecedented £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund of which over £1 billion has so far been allocated so far to over 3000 organisations. This is along a world class package of broader economy measures worth hundreds of billions, including the furloughing scheme and the Self Employed Income Support Scheme

Events Industry: Coronavirus

Derek Twigg: What recent assessment he has made of the financial effect of the covid-19 outbreak on people working in the large entertainment events industry.

Caroline Dinenage: We appreciate that the entertainment and events sector has been significantly affected by COVID19. That’s why the Government has maintained a regular dialogue with the sectors via various working groups since the outbreak of the pandemic. We have undertaken assessments of the financial impact of the pandemic through the DCMS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Impact Business Survey, which is available on GOV.UK.

National League: Coronavirus

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent support he has made available to National League football clubs in (a) Slough and (b) England to ensure they can continue playing for the rest of the season.

Nigel Huddleston: On 19 November 2020, the government announced a £300 million Sports Winter Survival Package (SWSP) to provide a lifeline to organisations that would otherwise not survive the winter as a result of the restriction on spectators announced from 1 October. A provisional allocation of £25 million was made to support the National League, covering steps one to six, aiming to protect the immediate future of non-league football in England. A further announcement on 27 January 2021 confirmed that Steps 3-6 of the National League system will receive up to £10 million of grant support from the Package to protect the immediate future of approximately 850 clubs over the winter period. Sport England and the Independent Board are currently finalising the details of this support, which will include any support for National League clubs in Slough, should they be eligible.  The SWSP support is in addition to the £10 million emergency package we facilitated for the National League from the National Lottery, in October last year, has benefitted the 66 clubs in the steps 1 and 2, and has enabled them to continue playing behind closed doors after the return of fans was paused last autumn. The support packages that have been available to the National League are in addition to the multi-billion pound package of cross-sector business support from the Government that has enabled many sports clubs and leisure businesses to survive, including the furlough scheme and business interruption loan scheme. Sports have accessed many hundreds of millions of pounds of support through this. The Government remains committed to engaging across the sector to maintain a complete picture of the financial impact of Covid-19 to ensure sports venues survive this difficult period wherever possible.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Apprentices

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.

Victoria Prentis: As of 31 March 2020, the Civil Service has achieved a total of 2.1% of its total workforce as apprentices against the legislative target for the public sector of 2.3% by March 2021. Core Defra has achieved 1% of the total staff employed within the department. A further 57 apprentices are currently being enrolled and we expect these to be fully enrolled by 31/03/21. This target is a percentage of the total workforce so the percentage attained will change in line with workforce fluctuations over time, making it challenging to predict when a department will meet it. The data for 2018/19 can be found here. The data for 2019/20 can be found here. Defra has an apprenticeship strategy which has the following priorities: Increase the use of apprenticeships in external recruitmentUse targeted apprenticeship recruitment to improve inclusion/ diversity of workforcePromote the use of apprenticeships to support the development of existing employees at all gradesIncrease/maximise levy usage Defra is launching three recruitment campaigns in National Apprenticeship Week (8–14 February) for the following apprenticeships: Project Management Level 4; Policy Officer Level 4; Business Administration Level 3. Departments are committed to increasing the number of apprentices across the Civil Service and continue to work towards the 2.3% target.

Peat Bogs: Fires

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled New rules for burning on protected blanket bog habitats, published on gov.uk on 30 January 2020, in what circumstances a license would be granted for the burning of vegetation on peat over 40 cm in depth.

Rebecca Pow: The Government has always been clear of the need to phase out rotational burning of protected blanket bog to conserve these vulnerable habitats. There is an established scientific consensus that burning of vegetation on such sites is damaging. That is why we are taking action to prevent further damage by bringing forward legislation that will limit burning of vegetation. The proposed legislation will not apply on land that has steep slopes or in circumstances where more than half of the area is covered by exposed rock and scree. Where these exemptions do not apply landowners will be able to apply to the Secretary of State for a licence to undertake managed burning in strictly limited circumstances. Such as for purposes of wildfire prevention where it is necessary and expedient and there is no practicable alternative, and for the purposes of peatland restoration as part of a cohesive management plan that aims to return that land to a natural wet state and the land is inaccessible to cutting or mowing machinery. The proposed regulations will be laid before parliament as soon as parliamentary time allows with accompanying guidance being published later this year.

Food: Coronavirus

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the value is of service credits applied to the contracts awarded to (a) Brake Brothers and (b) BFS Group to provide food boxes for shielding vulnerable adults.

Victoria Prentis: The Defra Contracts with Brakes and Bidfood delivered 4.7 million food boxes to the doorsteps of the clinically extremely vulnerable in England between 27 March and 1 August 2020. The contract contained Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to cover on-time, in-full and zero defect delivery. KPIs were monitored on a daily and weekly basis. Brakes and Bidfood delivered the service in accordance with these KPIs and therefore service credits were not required.

Agriculture: Carbon Emissions

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to extend financial support for carbon negative farming and land use beyond the existing schemes for woodland and peatland; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Prentis: Yes we do. Reaching our Net Zero target is one of this government's top priorities. This will mean changes to the way land is managed to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. We will support the sector to make these changes through the schemes set out in our Agricultural Transition Plan, which was published in November using the powers in the Agriculture Act 2020.Specifically, our new environmental land management schemes, the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery, will all help support farming and land management to contribute to Net Zero. The Agricultural Transition Plan set out examples of the types of actions that we envisage paying for under the schemes and the timetable for those schemes opening to applicants.We are also offering new agreements and extensions to existing agreements under the legacy Countryside Stewardship scheme. This scheme continues to help farmers manage their land sustainably and contribute to Net Zero whilst we test and roll out our future environmental land management schemes.

Women and Equalities

Gender Recognition: Companies

Alex Sobel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will take steps to encourage companies to include the gender-neutral title Mx on application and administrative forms.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will take steps to encourage public bodies to include the gender-neutral title Mx on application and administrative forms.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress she has made on encouraging organisations to include the gender-neutral title Mx on their forms; and if she will make a statement.

Kemi Badenoch: We are aware that some people use titles that do not indicate gender – for example Dr, Rev, Major or Mx. Individuals can decide what title they want to use on forms, without going through a formal process, and organisations are free to decide the best way of collecting titles for their needs.